Last week, in the run-up to their quarter-final clash with much-fancied Belgium, we asked whether Wales could keep their fairy tale run at Euro 2016 going. It’s fair to say their answer was emphatic, as the Welsh nation experienced its greatest ever footballing triumph and, arguably, its most historic sporting moment.

Attention now turns to tonight’s semi-final against Portugal in Lyon, where a place in the Euro 2016 final is up for grabs. Portugal have been there before, having reached the final of Euro 2004, but Wales are already in new territory having surpassed their achievements in the 1958 World Cup.

In the wake of such unprecedented success, manager Chris Coleman has urged fans to “dare to dream”, sentiments which have encapsulated the feelings of sports fans not just in Wales, but in the United Kingdom as a whole. There is a real sense of hope that the Home Nation can continue on their journey and maybe, just maybe, emerge with the Henri Delaunay trophy on July 10^th.

Billed in some corners of the media as a Bale Vs Ronaldo showdown, Bale himself was quick to dismiss this as a lazy narrative, instead choosing to focus on the merits of his team as a whole, reinforcing the traits which have taken Wales this far in the tournament – togetherness, work ethic, pride.

Ronaldo will be the main threat, of course, but focusing all efforts on stopping the three-time Ballon d’Or winner will not be part of the game plan for Wales; instead, they will seek to defend and attack as a unit and rely on their collective commitment to prevail.

The only sour note from the victory against Belgium came in the form of suspensions to two key players. Ben Davies and Aaron Ramsey will be absent for the clash with Portugal as a result of what many consider to be overly harsh suspension rules. Both players have shone in the tournament and Chris Coleman has a difficult task deciding who to replace them with, with the most likely candidates being James Collins and Jonny Williams.

Portugal are not without their concerns themselves, as influential centre-back Pepe is rated 50/50 to play due to a thigh problem. Such is his importance, it will be a huge miss for Portugal If he fails to recover, as it will hand Wales a significant boost ahead of kick-off.

One thing is for sure, the eyes of the footballing world will be on Lyon tonight to witness what could be another historic chapter in the story of the Welsh team at Euro 2016. Will we be seeing their flags flying at the Stade de France for the final on Sunday? We are set to find out very soon…