Portugal and Wales face off in the Euro 2016 semifinals on Wednesday.

This game pits two sides that no one expected to make a deep run.

Portugal has often been seen as a mediocre team with one superstar. Ironically, the superstar has been far from his best while the "mediocre" side has shown its quality. No one has been more of a talisman to Portugal than young Renato Santos of 18-years. The new Bayern Munich addition scored Portugal's only goal against Poland and was dynamic throughout the match.

Ronaldo of course is the superstar that has been inconsistent throughout, though he has been far less selfish in the overall play. His finish has been poor though, rather uncharacteristic for one of the best, if not the best, scorer in the world. His recent outing against Poland was similar to his horrid night against Austria where he missed on every prime scoring chance that came his way.

Wales meanwhile was not expected to get out of the group stage, much less win its group. That the team is now two wins away from being a champion is simply astounding. The team destroyed Belgium 3-1 in a passionate display on Friday and simply looks like a complete side that works well.

That said, the team may need to worry about the absence of Aaron Ramsey. The Arsenal star has been crucial to the team's offensive display but will miss the match due to a second yellow in the quarterfinal.


Wales Player to watch

Has there been a more consistent superstar in this tournament beside Gareth Bale? The Welshman has led his nation this far even after his worst performance to date against Belgium. Even then he was creating opportunities and helping with the countering.

Portugal player to watch

Renato Sanches has been the best player for Portugal when he has been on the pitch, but Ronaldo is still the main man and the one capable of making this team rise above the rest. Ronaldo has run hot and cold in this tournament from a goalscoring perspective, but there is no denying that the Real Madrid superstar has been creating chances (he created four against Poland) and has also been a difference maker when he tracks back deep and helps in the build up. He has been better in that respect as this tournament has evolved and that should not change in the biggest game of the year.

As for goalscoring, Ronaldo struggled in the first two group games before breaking his slump with an emphatic third group game. He has struggled in the first two knockout games and will have extra motivation to overcome Real Madrid teammate Gareth Bale. No one wants to score more than him and he will look to do that.

History Says...

Portugal has won two games and lost one against Wales. The teams last met in 2000 and had previous contested two games in 1949 and 1951.

Prediction

Portugal gets a strong game from Ronaldo and wins 2-1.

Schedule and Streaming Info

The game kicks off at 3 p.m. EDT on Wednesday and can be viewed on ESPN, ESPN Deportes or ESPN 3.