On Wednesday's first semi-final in Donetsk, it is going to be a match of opposites. Spain -- a team's team, built around passing and teamwork and staying true to soccer being the ultimate team game. Portugal, on the other hand, is all about one man - Cristiano Ronaldo.
No amount of teamwork or passing is going to matter against Spain, if the Portuguese are to upset the defending champions. Only one man can do it. Ronaldo will be on familiar ground; he will face the likes of Alvaro Arbeloa, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas - all his team-mates at Real Madrid. He will go up against familiar foes in Andre Iniesta, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets and Gerrard Pique - all from Real's arch-rivals Barcelona. Portugal have Real players in Pepe and Fabio Coentrao.
It will be like playing an El Clasico, only with the team all jumbled up. So who will win the "El Clasico of Euro 2012"? All signs point towards Spain. The World and European champions have not been at their best; far from it. But, take them lightly at your own peril. Spain have created an uncanny habit of winning games, a mentality borne from Barcelona, where the Spanish team looked unbeatable for several years, before Real broke the sequence last season.
Spain play the tiki-taka soccer made famous by Barca. While not as effective as the club side - because a certain Lionel Messi is missing in the national side - Spain have had unprecedented success over the past four years. They will be gunning for their third-straight major trophy, a feat that hasn't been achieved by any country so far.
Vicente del Bosque is likely to go with the false No 9 position yet again, cramming the pitch with midfielders, with Fernando Torres likely to start on the bench for another game.
However, whichever line-up the coach goes for, one thing will be certain. Spain will boss possession. Del Bosque's team will try to break Portugal's spirit by making one pass after another, after another.
The possession stats should not worry Spain's neighbours too much though. In Ronaldo and Nani they have two speedy wingers, capable of hitting any side on the counter. Their pace and trickery is bound to cause some trouble for the Spanish defense, which in all truth hasn't been tested enough so far in the tournament. However, it is difficult to test an opponent's defense when you have so little of the ball.
Portugal will be without the injured Helder Postiga, with Hugo Almeida expected to start in his place.
Ronaldo comes into the semis on a rich vein of form, having scored two match-winners in their must-win games against the Dutch and Czech Republic. Cassillas, Ramos and Arebloa, who will bear the brunt of most of Ronaldo's attacks at the right-back position, will be fully aware of their club team-mate's capabilities. However, knowing all about Ronaldo's game and stopping the prolific forward from scoring are two completely different things. Ronaldo, when he is at his best, is almost unplayable. He has taken the most amount of shots in the tournament and is the joint leading scorer with 3 goals.
So, a team that embraces team soccer at its fullest against a side which is depending on their star man to almost single-handedly take them to their first ever European Championship title.
The stage is set for Europe's best to mesmerize the viewing public.