Portugal will want to find their goalscoring mojo against Wales, a side that have entertained and delighted one and all in Euro 2016. It could be a semifinal that excites or one that makes staying awake difficult, but with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale on show, hope springs eternal that this match could turn out to be an absolute humdinger.
While Portugal come on the back of a hearstopping penalty shootout victory over Poland, Wales turned on the style against one of the pre-tournament favourites Belgium, making light of their first ever European Championship quarterfinal to create further history.
Get the highlights of Portugal vs Wales HERE
History again beckons Wales in this semifinal – already the farthest they have ever gone in a major tournament – and going by the way they have handled the big-game pressure so far, it only looks like getting the best out of them.
"I think the thing that's impressed me the most is, immediately we arrive back from the Belgium quarterfinal, then to be fair to the whole group -- the players and the staff -- it was all about the next one, preparing for this next one," Wales manager Chris Coleman told UEFA's official website. "So that's very positive, albeit we're on new territory, of course, but it doesn't matter.
"Another game of football, another one we need to prepare ourselves for, another one we need to believe in ourselves and try to stamp our own authority on the game and we'll see where that takes us."
That is the way Wales have been able to keep the pressure off them – by treating it as just another game. It is a mantra that almost everyone preaches, but very few put into practice. When Wales allowed their emotions to get the better of them, they lost to England – the only defeat they have suffered in Euro 2016 – and Coleman will need to make sure his players are not overawed by the occasion.
One of the players to have been in a few big-pressure situations before – Aaron Ramsey – will be missing from this match due to a suspension, so the onus falls on Bale again to light the torch that leads Wales out of the tunnel and into the finale road.
Bale will be up against his Real Madrid teammate Ronaldo, who has not quite been able to stamp his authority on these European Championships. However, there is no better time like the present, and you would not bet against Ronaldo turning it on in the semifinals.
"Cristiano has led by example here," Portugal manager Fernando Santos said. "The way he is on the training ground, with his teammates, he's been impeccable."
Only impeccable, perfection and a few more of those adjectives will do for Wales and Portugal if they are to make it to the final of Euro 2016.
Where to Watch Live
Portugal vs Wales -- the first Euro 2016 semifinal -- is scheduled for a 9 p.m. CET (12.30 a.m. IST, 8 p.m. BST, 3 p.m. ET) start. The live streaming and TV information is below.
India: TV: Sony Six/HD and Sony ESPN/HD. Live Streaming: Sonyliv and ESPN.in.
Portugal: TV: RTP 1 and Sport TV1.
UK and Ireland: TV: ITV and S4C. Live Streaming: ITV Hub. Radio: BBC Radio 5 Live.
France: TV: Bein Sports 1. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
USA: TV: ESPN 3 and ESPN Deportes. Live Streaming: Watch ESPN.
Canada: TV: TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, TSN5 and RDS. Live Streaming: TSN TV.
Middle East and North Africa: TV: Bein Max 1, 2 and 3. Live Streaming: Bein SportsConnect.
South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa: TV: SuperSport 3. Live Streaming: SuperSport.
Singapore: TV: Eleven Singapore, ABS-CBN and Singtel. Live Streaming: Singtel Go.
Malaysia: TV: Astro SuperSport. Live Streaming: Astro Go.
China and Hong Kong: TV: CCTV and LeTV.
Thailand: TV: Channel 3 and CTH.
Latin America: TV: DirecTV.
Australia: TV: Bein Sports Australia 1. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Australia Connect.
