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European Championship | Semi-Finals
Jul 6, 2016 at 8pm UK
 
WN

2-0

Ronaldo (50'), Nani (53')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Chris Coleman: 'Gareth Bale fully focused on semi-final'

:Headline: Chris Coleman: 'Gareth Bale fully focused on semi-final': ID:276031: from db_amp
Wales boss Chris Coleman claims that Gareth Bale will be as focused as ever when facing Portugal, despite being under the spotlight as he battles with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Chris Coleman has insisted that firing Wales into the final of Euro 2016 will be enough motivation for Gareth Bale, rather than focusing on getting one over on clubmate Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Real Madrid superstars face off on Wednesday night when the Dragons take on Portugal at the semi-final stage of the competition in Lyon.

Wales boss Coleman is well aware that much of the pre-match focus will centre on the two Galacticos, but he insists that neither he nor Bale will approach the game any differently following a memorable campaign thus far.

"They are two of the best players on the planet. They know each other very well," he is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. "I don't suppose there will be any love lost on the evening, between both teams not just Cristiano and Gareth. We know what is at stake. Any friendship will have to wait until after the game.

"I don't think Bale will look at this and think he will have to impress anyone just because of who the opposition is. We have to remember where he has been, the games he has played, the stages he has performed on. Bale will see this as another big test. Whoever is on the pitch they are in our way, we have to find a route past them.

"It's not like I need to pull my defenders to one side and say, 'They have a guy up front called Cristiano Ronaldo and he can do this that and the other.' I could drill my players for a month on him and he could do something that is unstoppable. But we have one of those in our team. It balances out. We will concentrate on what has got us here in the first place, that is our identity, and we are strong on that."

Wales will be without midfielder Aaron Ramsey and defender Ben Davies for the last-four showdown, while defensive midfield linchpin William Carvalho is absent for Portugal.

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