UEFA EURO 2020

Not only Ronaldo against Bale

This escalation of the first European championship semi-final between Wales and Portugal are so close – and yet so misleading. Because the Surprise semi-finalists have more trump cards than just their two Superstars.

In the club for Real Madrid colleagues, at the European championship opponents in the semi-final: Gareth Bale (l) and Cristiano Ronaldo

The 91-million-man against the 94-million-Euro-man. 27 million Facebook friends, against 113 million. High-speed football against irrepressible scoring chances. Welsh folk hero against Portuguese Glamour icon.

Once again a game of eleven against eleven on a one-on-one, reduced: Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo. The most expensive players in the world struggle to enter the European championship final. But the first EM-the semi-final between Wales and Portugal on Wednesday (21 at the DW live Ticker for this) is really a pure fight
Of course not.

Media tips are able to personalize a story, to bring your audience closer, to make it more comprehensible. “Bale against Ronaldo” is a popular headline in front of this semi-final. Of course, because these two top stars click are carriers and millions of Fans. However, such a deterioration in adjusted often the view on the Essential: Wales against Portugal far more than the duel of two million heavier team-mates at Real Madrid.

Still a game of Eleven against Eleven

The first semi-final of this UEFA EURO 2016 the encounter of two very different surprise meeting teams that have found, contrary to the predictions of almost all the experts made their way into the round of the last Four. This was, of course, with the help of their two Superstars, but by far not only because of these two. “It’s not just the duel of two players, everyone knows that. It comes to the duel of two Nations, eleven against Eleven”, says Gareth Bale aptly.

A collective that wants to surprise Portugal: Eleven from Wales

Wales, for example, marches, apart from the narrow defeat against the already eliminated neighboring England, in the group stage in the European championship from victory to victory, because the Team as such occurs. The team work with and for each other, moving always to the Ball, doing a lot of leg work. And especially Wales plays a surprisingly creative and game designing. This was already seen in the very convincing qualifying Phase for the European championship. Instead, like other outsiders, to Defend and to limit the hope for a lucky counterattack, to take the Welshman at the European Championships in all of the games an active Part, regardless of the opponent. While they overran the overmatched Russians, practiced against the clear favorite Belgians for a long while in back stance, left in the failed title contenders but never complete control. As the game strong Belgians were tired to beat the Welsh ice cold.

A team player, the other is, well, Ronaldo

Despite, or perhaps because of the previous success at these Championships, the Welsh team Manager Chris Coleman not want to give the cherished outsider status: “We are the Underdog,” said Coleman, adding: “For Portugal, it is the seventh semi-final, but this is not a Problem. No matter against whom – it comes to us, to our players. You trust each other and you can, too.” Team spirit is for Coleman, perhaps even the guarantee of success. And that is why it is so important, how to seamlessly also probably the best Welsh player in the history of football fits in with this collective. “Gareth is definitely a team player,” says Coleman of his Star. “You can’t underestimate the importance of being a team player.”

After all, from the penalty spot, Ronaldo against Poland. His free-kicks, however, are currently as dangerous as that of a circle of the League kickers

This aspect of the game Cristiano Ronaldo takes. Play is not race as his thing, Back and defend occasionally. In addition, shocks are free, of course, a matter for the boss. But Ronaldo’s balance sheet in terms of static Ball is catastrophic. In a total of 28 finals play at the world and European Championships, he shot 34 Times with a free kick directly on goal. Not a single one landed. His self-confident, wide-legged attitude, acts as just such a silly Show.

The new Bayern Munich Star is older than specified?

As part of the powerful Offensive of the Portuguese Ronaldo, however, is quite dangerous, and a game as to be a decisive factor, as in Hungary-was watching the game (3:3). But not only he, but also Joker, Ricardo Quaresma, and Bavaria’s new signing Renato Sanches for scoring chances. The latter, impressed with the unconditional will to victory and for his age (18) amazing physique. Prompt, this number is questioned. The former French coach Guy Roux, the media reports said that Sanchez should be “23 or 24 years old”. The Portuguese national coach Fernando Santos contradicted immediately.

The age debate is the last thing I need for Santos now. Because before the semi-finals favorite Portugal has a lot to do: The lack of opportunity evaluation, which is partly shown a lack of imagination in playmaking and defensive weaknesses are the large construction sites in the game for his team, which is in the eyes of many observers, more than happy in the penultimate round. Not a single one within 90 minutes won the game, and plenty of luck, both in the group stage as well as in overtime against Croatia (round of sixteen), as well as in the penalty shoot-out against Poland (quarter-finals.). The semifinals offers the kampstarken, but so far, not convincing the Portuguese to show the Chance that her success was not a product of chance.

Denmark and Greece as models

Maybe it is also quite different, and Wales is making history. “It was the fairy tale of Denmark and Greece. We can do this,” said Gareth Bale in memory of the Sensations-the European champion of 1992 and 2004. The Welshman has also been a desire opponent for the final: “I remember that Toni Kroos has said before the tournament that we will only have three games. The more beautiful it would be if we meet in the final.”