It will be virgin territory for Wales when they face Portugal in the Euro 2016 semi-finals, yet their opponents could be forgiven a sense of deja vu as they step on to the pitch in Lyon tonight.
 This will be Portugal’s fourth semi-final in the last five editions of the competition stretching back to 2000, but for all their success in reaching the latter stages of the tournament, there has been little glory along the way.
 Only once have they overcome the last-four hurdle and then they were beaten in the final by Greece as hosts at Euro 2004. If you include their defeat in the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup and a loss at the Euros in 1984, they are becoming all too familiar with the pitfalls of this stage of major tournaments.
 Portugal’s conquerors in their recent last-four clashes have included football powerhouses France, at Euro 2000 and the World Cup in 2006, and Spain at Euro 2012. Should they lose to Wales, playing their first major tournament in 58 years and their first ever semi-final, it would be a devastating blow.
 Yet, Wales are arguably the form team coming into the match. Chris Coleman’s side have revelled in their underdog status to win their group, which also included England, Russia and Slovakia, ease out British rivals Northern Ireland in the last 16 and sweep past heavy favourites Belgium in the quarters.
 Portugal are yet to win a match at the tournament inside 90 minutes, having drawn all three group games, beaten Croatia in extra-time and squeezed past Poland on penalties. Things are yet to click for Portugal, and by extension for captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who has at times looked exasperated by his teammates’ attacking shortcomings.
 Yet, Portugal are unbeaten in 12 competitive internationals since Fernando Santos took over as coach at the start of the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. With Ronaldo’s Real Madrid teammate Pepe marshalling an increasingly assured defence, they will be tough to break down.
 Especially for a Wales side deprived of one of their most talented creative influences in midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who will be suspended after picking up a booking in the win over Belgium. While Gareth Bale has been Wales’s attacking talisman, scoring three times to lift them out of their group, Ramsey has been arguably their most influential player, scoring one and producing four assists in the run to the last four.
 The match is likely to be billed as a contest between the two most expensive players in the world—Ronaldo, who will play a record third European Championship semi-final, and his Real Madrid teammate Bale. Perhaps ominously for Wales, Ronaldo has netted twice in each of his last two games in Lyon for club and country.
 Wales are have already surpassed all expectations on their first ever appearance at the European Championship finals by reaching the last four with a rousing 3-1 win over the highly-fancied Belgium.
 However, the spectre of the Real Madrid teammates, the world’s two most expensive players, going head-to-head adds extra spice to an already dazzling encounter in Lyon.
 “It’s not about two players, everyone knows that, it’s about two nations in a semi-final,” insisted Bale yesterday in a bid to defuse the billing of he and Ronaldo’s all-star showdown. “He’s a fantastic player, everyone knows what he can do. We concentrate on what we can do as a team, and not concentrate on individuals.”
 Despite winning the Champions League twice in three years with Madrid, Bale has tended to be overshadowed by Ronaldo in the Spanish capital, where the Portuguese is a living legend as the top scorer in Real’s history.
 However, of the two Bale has been in better form in France, scoring in all of Wales’ group games and forcing Northern Ireland’s Gareth McAuley into the own-goal with a devilish cross which decided their last 16 tie. By contrast, Ronaldo has look surly, stressed and well off his usually impeccable standards in front of goal.
 The three-time world player of the year scored twice against Hungary to become the only player to score in four separate European championships. But he failed to find the net against Iceland, Austria, Croatia and Poland.
 However, Portugal midfielder Andre Gomes defended his captain’s displays.
“He has worked a lot for the group and that is the most important thing. He has given his all,” said the Valencia man. “Bale is a reference for Wales just as Cristiano is for us. Bale knows the Spanish league, but I have also played against British teams before and I know their style.
“They are strong, aggressive, they attack and counter-attack very well. You can’t talk about favourites in a semi-final. If Wales have got this far it is because they have deserved too. We have to have respect.”
 Portugal have reached the last four despite not winning a game in 90 minutes as they were the only side to progress having drawn all three group games before Ricardo Quaresma’s 117th-minute extra-time winner saw off Croatia and penalties were needed to oust Poland in the quarter-finals.
 Bale, though, refused to be fooled by Portugal’s route to a fourth semi-final in their last five Euros. “We know what tournament they have had. We have watched all their games on TV. They are a dangerous team. They are ranked very highly and are not in the semi-final for no reason,” added Bale. “Even if they haven’t won, they’ve got the results needed. We will do our homework as normal. Hopefully on the night we can put in another great performance and make more history.”
Bale will also have the taunts of teammates past and present echoing in his memory when he takes to the field. Bale saw five major tournaments come and go over the first 10 years of his career, but with Wales having ended their 58-year wait on the international sidelines, the 26-year-old is keen to make up for lost time.
 “I have had a lot of abuse over the years,” the Real Madrid forward said. “Just when we used to lose and when we were (ranked) 100th in the world. You have nine weeks’ holiday instead of two. It is good to finally be in a major tournament, actually doing great things with our national team. It is great to be a part of.”
 Should Bale reach the final, he could find himself facing Germany midfielder Toni Kroos, his Madrid teammate, who took a dim view of Wales’s chances prior to the tournament.
“I remember Toni Kroos saying we’d only have three games. So it would be nice to meet him in the final,” Bale said with a smile. “It was a good laugh and a joke, a bit of banter. But we’ve obviously exceeded a lot of people’s expectations. We understand that and we’re just enjoying it now.”
 Bale says that the atmosphere within the Wales camp is joyous, with regular quizzes helping in preventing the players from dwelling on the enormity of what they have achieved.
“We’re still doing our quizzes,” said Bale, who is on a quiz team with Chris Gunter, Joe Allen, Hal Robson-Kanu, Danny Ward and Ben Davies. “We won again today. That is six in a row now. We’re on fire!”
 The squad have also been watching as many games at the Euro as possible. Bale praised underdogs Iceland for their “amazing journey” to the quarter-finals, where they lost 5-2 to France.
 With Wales now flying the flag alone for the minor nations, Bale is drawing inspiration from Denmark and Greece, who defied expectations to win the European Championship in 1992 and 2004 respectively.
 Both sides will be disrupted by suspension with Ben Davies and, in particular, Arsenal midfielder Ramsey a huge miss for Wales. Crystal Palace’s Jonny Williams is expected to replace Ramsey, whilst Davies’s absence could provoke a reshuffle in defence with Chris Gunter moving from right wing-back into the back three making way for Fulham’s Jazz Richards to make his first start of the tournament.
 Portugal are shorn of the banned William Carvalho, but Gomes and Joao Moutinho are in contention to start after recovering from injury. Danilo is the most obvious option to occupy Carvalho’s holding role in midfield.