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Gareth Bale has not been on the winning side in his five matches against Cristiano Ronaldo
| Portugal v Wales |
|---|
| Date: Wednesday, 6 July Venue: Stade de Lyon, Lyon Kick-off: 20:00 BST |
| Coverage: Live on BBC Radio 5 live, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and text commentary online & on BBC Sport app |
Gareth Bale has played down the significance of his duel with Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of Wales’ Euro 2016 semi-final against Portugal.
Their relationship has been the subject of intense media scrutiny, with both insisting there is no rift.
They meet in Lyon on Wednesday, Wales’ first semi-final at a major tournament.
“It’s not about two players, it is about two nations in a semi-final, 11 men against 11 men,” said Wales’ Bale.
“Everybody knows that really.”
Bale became the world’s most expensive footballer when he joined Real from Tottenham for £85m in 2013, surpassing the £80m the Spanish club paid Manchester United for Ronaldo in 2009.
The two players have formed a potent attacking three with French striker Karim Benzema, helping Real to win two Champions League titles in the last three seasons.
However, the relationship between Bale and Ronaldo has not always been harmonious.
The Portugal captain was pictured gesticulating angrily when Bale did not pass to him during a game in 2015, prompting speculation of discord between the pair.
Both have dismissed such talk, while former Real manager Carlo Ancelotti said in a recent BBC Wales documentary about Bale that the two players are “really close”.
“Of course we get on very well at Madrid, we enjoy playing with each other,” said Bale.
“He’s a fantastic player, everybody knows what he can do. But we have always spoken about what we do, what we do ourselves as a team. We don’t worry about the opposition.”
‘We all believed from the start’
Wednesday’s match in Lyon will be Ronaldo’s third European Championship semi-final, and he was part of the Portugal side which lost the 2004 final to Greece.
Bale’s three goals have helped Wales reach the last four of a major tournament for the first time, and he has reiterated his belief that Chris Coleman’s men could be crowned champions.
“We all believed from the start. As we have said many times, we didn’t come here to make up the numbers,” he added.
“We came here to do a job, we came to do the business. Ultimately we want to win the tournament.
“We know we’re a step closer again but, the thing we keep saying time and time again, we can’t think past the semi-final now.
“We have to concentrate everything on the semi. If we can get the job done, then we can look forward to the final.”