Good evening everyone and welcome to our live coverage of what should be a superb semi-final at Euro 2012: world and European champions Spain against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal .

Iniesta drifts into the box from the left and his pass doesn’t quite make it to Negredo. However, the ball runs free in the box and Arbeloa meets it with a side-footed effort that slides just over the bar. Not the man you want to meet the ball really.

Silva gifts possession to Portugal but Alba presses with venom and claims the ball back. Spain work the ball forward but Silva cannot find a team-mate after finding space in the box.

Xabi Alonso finds a pocket of space for the first real time and tries to play in Silva with a cute ball over the top. However, the Manchester City star can’t get the ball under control and Patricio can deal with the danger.

We get a first look at Jordi Alba, who is on the brink of signing for Barcelona from Valencia. The left-back, who loves to bomb forward, plays a one-two with Iniesta and later wins a free-kick.

Stat from Opta: "Spain have conceded just one goal so far at Euro 2012, fewer than any other side."

Bruno Alves spots Nani in space on the right wing and flings a long diagonal pass out to the winger. However, Nani miscontrols when trying to bring the ball down on his thigh and it runs out for a throw.

David Silva slips a pass forward to Negredo, who drifts to the right of the box and tries to play the ball square. However, Pepe does well to throw out a leg and block.

Spain, as ever, as pressing with great enthusiasm right from the front and Andres Iniesta chases down Pepe, putting pressure on the defender before he plays it back to Rui Patricio.

Veloso himself takes the corner and Iker Casillas stretches to tip the ball out for another corner. This time Raul Meireles takes the set-piece from the opposite side and Casillas comes to catch.

Portugal try to put pressure on the Spain right and when the ball comes central Miguel Veloso sees a long-range effort deflected out for a corner.

KICK OFF!

Portugal have had two extra days to prepare for this game, but they will need the extra energy given they will be chasing the ball for most of the following 90 minutes. Can they disrupt Spain’s passing carousel and get Ronaldo to take apart his adopted home country?

The teams emerge from the tunnel in Donetsk and there are plenty of empty seats scattered around. It’s not an easy place to get to, which may explain that. I had the pleasure of attending two games in the group stage at the Donbass Arena. Follow me on Twitter if you want.

Spain are of course Euro 2012’s pass masters – Xavi has already accrued a record 734 in the tournament, and as a team the last time they didn’t have at least 50 per cent possession in a major tournament was the final of Euro 2008 – and as our stats show, Portugal are closer to England on that particular scale.

Cristiano Ronaldo has three in his past two games – seeing off Netherlands and Czech Republic – but he has never scored in three consecutive games for his country. He has 94 caps and has already scored six goals overall in European Championship finals – only Michel Platini (nine) and Alan Shearer (seven) have netted more in the competition. Ronaldo is also the first ever player to attempt 30 shots (including blocked) in a single Euro tournament.

Here is a stat for you: If Spain win tonight (not on penalties) then Iker Casillas will become the first ever player to win 100 international matches. He will have done so in 136 games. What a tremendous record that is.

So, is it too simple to reduce this match down to one single matter: can Spain stop Cristiano Ronaldo? He has had 20 shots in his past two games at the finals, scoring three times and hitting the woodwork four times, and his individual brilliance could be decisive if Portugal see enough of the ball. Spain – accused in some quarters of being boring with their stifling brand of possession football – will look to deny it them at every opportunity.

Portugal are without a major trophy and are still haunted by their failure to win the 2004 final on home turf against Greece in 2004. They were eliminated by Spain in the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup but in November of the same year hammered their Iberian neighbours 4-0 in a friendly. Spain have only won two of their past 12 games against Portugal.

Spain are of course hoping to become the first ever team to win three consecutive major international tournaments, and the first since West Germany in the 1970s to reach three consecutive major finals. They haven’t conceded a goal in knockout games since the 2006 World Cup, a run stretching back eight games.

If this proves a tight game then the first of two semi-finals could be settled on penalties. We have explored the record of the four semi-finalists from the penalty spot.

Portugal’s only change is Hugo Almeida coming into the starting XI in place of the injured Helder Postiga. One man has been soaking up all the attention so far though, Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who may just be one of the only men capable of toppling Spain.