FULL-TIME: PORTUGAL 2-0 WALES. Fernando Santos' side are through to the final!
90' +2
Joe Allen is penalised for a bookable offence atop the Wales penalty area, but recognising how much time is left and that the midfielder is already on a yellow, the referee shows good discretion to not send him off and end Wales' tournament in that fashion.
90'
There will be three minutes added on at the end of this match, and surely anything Wales could muster up now would be nothing more than consolation.
88'
G. Bale gets yellow.
Bale catches Cedric with a dangerously high boot and he goes into the book as a result, ending another Wales attack. That might just about do it for their slim comeback hopes.
86'
Ricardo Quaresma enters the game and replaces Nani.
Ricardo Quaresma replaces Nani in Portugal's final change, though he won't need to provide any late heroics tonight.
85'
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SPECIAL! Portugal break swiftly on the counter, with Ronaldo making a strong run behind the defence. He's picked out by an inviting ball, and manages to round Hennessey, but his first touch is a bit heavy and that takes him to a tight angle as he can only send a shot crashing into the side netting!
83'
STAT: Portugal have played the most games (33) in the history of the European Championship without lifting the trophy. They lost in the final against Greece in 2004.
81'
BRILLIANT STOP! Patricio stays with another long-range strike from Bale, with plenty of pace and dip behind this one from the Welshman, but the keeper is able to dive across and parry! Portugal have had a number of chances to kill the game off, and you have to wonder if they will come to regret one or two of these misses.
79'
João Moutinho enters the game and replaces Adrien Silva.
Adrien Silva is replaced by Joao Moutinho, Portugal's second change of the night.
78'
OH HOW CLOSE WAS THAT?! Bale gets caught in possession and it allows Danilo clean through into the area. The midfielder has the option to square for Nani, who would have had a simple finish to put the game out of reach, but instead opts to go for goal himself. Hennesses fails to parry, nearly spilling it across the line, but the keeper just manages to recover!
Minute
Description
76'
NOT A BAD EFFORT! A bouncing ball falls invitingly for Bale from 25 yards, and he's always going to strike it from there. He makes excellent contact with his half-volley, but gets the accuracy wrong as he again sends it straight into the waiting arms of Patricio!
74'
André Gomes enters the game and replaces Renato Sanches.
A first change for Portugal as Andre Gomes enters the fray at the expense of Sanches, who didn't have much of a say in proceedings tonight.
72'
Cristiano Ronaldo gets yellow.
Ronaldo becomes the second Portuguese player booked in as many minutes.
71'
Bruno Alves gets yellow.
Bruno Alves is booked for trying to block Hennessey's attempted throw out from the back.
70'
SAFE HANDS! Well it's Portugal who are looking likelier to score the next goal at the moment. Nani wins another corner, which Fonte meets at the far post, but his header is plucked off the line by Hennessey to deny Portugal a third!
68'
STAT: The previous three head-to-head meetings between these sides have produced 11 goals, whilst Wales are yet to keep a clean sheet against Portugal.
66'
J. Williams enters the game and replaces J. Collins.
Little doubt about Coleman's approach here as Collins, a centre-half, gives way for Jonathan Williams, an attacking-midfielder.
65'
THAT COULD HAVE DONE IT! Nani catches Hennessey lacking focus, as the keeper spills his strike from range! Mario is on hand to pounce on the rebound, but he knocks it just wide of the near post! That surely would have ended any hopes of a comeback.
63'
S. Church enters the game and replaces H. Robson-Kanu.
Simon Church replaces Robson-Kanu in a like-for-like swap.
JUST OVER! Ronaldo tries his luck from the ensuing free-kick, and comes very close, skimming his effort off the top of the bar and behind for a goal-kick!
62'
J. Chester gets yellow.
Chester has had a rough second half, as he goes into the book now for a cynical foul on Ronaldo, looking overmatched here.
60'
Wales need a leader. They need someone to step up and rally the troops, because there's a lot of discouraged looks creeping into the faces of their XI. Portugal are suffocating the tempo, as they've shown an innate ability to do throughout this tournament, and they have their first two-goal lead of the competition here to defend.
58'
S. Vokes enters the game and replaces J. Ledley.
Chris Coleman has to throw caution to the wind now. On comes striker Sam Vokes, with holding-midfielder Joe Ledley giving way.
57'
Wales are looking stunned. You can hardly blame them, but they have no time to sit back in shock. They have a mountain to climb and they're going to need all the possession they can get to help turn this around - but they're seeing next to none of it at the moment, with Portugal playing keep-away.
55'
STAT: With his goal today, Cristiano Ronaldo is now the joint-highest scorer in European Championship history.
53'
Nani has scored a goal for Portugal! Assist by Cristiano Ronaldo.
A goal and an assist for Ronaldo who has put Portugal on his back in the second half.
THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY TO SAINT-DENIS! A second for Portugal in three minutes, as they completely take charge at the start of this second half! Ronaldo's low shot from atop the area is chased down by Nani, who slides in and redirects it beyond a helpless Hennessey as the Wales defence is caught sleeping!
52'
He sure loves this venue, doesn't he? It's Ronaldo's third goal of the tournament and all three have come in Lyon, with the other two scored in the 3-3 draw here against Hungary a couple of weeks ago. He has Portugal on top and in reach of their first final appearance at the European Championship since 2004.
50'
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored a goal for Portugal! Assist by Raphaël Guerreiro.
COMETH THE MAN, COMETH THE HOUR! On a night featuring the two prolific Champions League winning forwards from Real Madrid, it's Cristiano Ronaldo who is first to deliver! The forward rises emphatically to get on the end of Guerreiro's cross and he sends a thumping header past Hennessey like only he can! The power behind that effort was absolutely off the charts!
A welcome return from injury for Guerreiro who picks up the assist.
48'
A plethora of errant passes out from the back see Portugal come under unnecessary pressure early in this second half. Wales are gifted a trio of chances to get after a scrambled Portuguese defence, but they fail to pick out the decisive ball to make the most of the gifts.
46'
Here we go again!
45'
HALF-TIME: PORTUGAL 0-0 WALES.
43'
Wales have so many bodies back when Portugal get forward. Ronaldo has been afforded such little time on the ball, surrounded by black shirts when he gets in possession, limiting his looks at goal. He settles for a corner late in this first half, with Alves meeting the ensuing delivery, but he sends virtually a free header straight into the air before Hennessey collects.
41'
STAT: Portugal are the first side to progress to the European Championship semi-final without winning a match in 90 minutes.
39'
This narrow setup in the Portuguese defence has kept Wales at arm's length. Coleman's side have been relegated to playing route one balls over the top, asking an awful lot of Robson-Kanu, who has predominantly found himself to be outnumbered up top, with Bale having to drop deeper to help provide a link between midfield and attack - though he's been smothered by Portugal.
37'
Wales have implemented a wonderful press off the ball, getting after the men in possession, while Portugal have adopted very much the opposite approach, giving the three Welsh defenders all the time in the world when they get on the ball. It's allowed them to keep their shape and not let Coleman's side build in possession, limiting their attacks to a few rare moments on the counter.
35'
We are into the last 10 minutes now of what has been an altogether unimpressive first half, which is sort of the standard which has been set by Portugal at the tournament. They don't care how attractive a style they play, so long as they achieve the desired end result, so this rather stagnant opening 35 minutes shouldn't come as much of a surprise.
33'
Portugal are building admirably on the front foot, but the quality of their end product hasn't mirrored that of their interplay. They get into some excellent possessions and force Wales to revert into a shell deep in their end, but instead of patiently waiting for their opening, frustration gets the better of them and the spell is wasted with a speculative effort from range.
31'
STAT: Cristiano Ronaldo has only scored two goals in 13 knockout games at major tournaments. He has failed to score with any of his 41 direct free-kicks at major tournaments.
29'
It's all been rather pedestrian from Portugal in the final third through the opening half-hour. They haven't been able to carve apart a stingy and well-organised Wales defence, with Hennessey yet to be called into action. Cedric tries his luck from close to 40 yards out and lifts his effort into Row Z, summarising the Portuguese attack up to this point.
27'
Portugal are attempting to slow the tempo now when they're on the ball, recognising the threat Wales pose on the break. They're being careful not to leave themselves exposed at the back, with both Alves and Fonte very much overmatched in the pace department. That has to be a worry for Fernando Santos given how these first 25 minuted have unfolded.
25'
CORNER! Confidence is very much building in this Wales side as the first half progresses. Robson-Kanu does well on the right to nick the ball beyond Alves, who is beaten for pace, and then pick out the run of King with his cross, but the midfielder's diving header is deflected behind by Fonte!
23'
SENSATIONAL FROM BALE! The Welshman wins possession atop his own penalty area, rides out a challenge from Danilo and sprints almost the entire length of the pitch, stretching the Portugal defence. It's a delightful counter, with Bale the designer and executioner, but his final shot from atop the area is straight at Patricio in the end! You fancy him to do better from there.
21'
STAT: Suspended Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey has scored or assisted five of the last international eight goals netted by Welsh players.
19'
LIFTED OVER! The corner is played low into the area, and Bale meets it, sprinting towards the near post. He opts for a first-time strike at goal, which was always going to prove difficult, but can't force Patricio into action! Clever idea, that, but the execution needed to be better.
18'
Much better from Wales! Lovely, patient interplay sees them mount a first threatening attack of the night, taking the space Portugal had made available to them. Bale is sprung down the left with Fonte having to come across into a foreign position to defend the threat, but he does admirably to force a corner.
16'
GLANCED WIDE! Splendid touch from Ronaldo to spring Mario on his way, before being clattered into from behind. The Sporting midfielder surges into the area with eyes for goal, opting for power not placement, but can't pick out the far corner as his effort drifts a few yards beyond the target.
14'
This has been a much better start from Portugal than they put together in their quarter-final match against Poland. At this point they were already down 1-0 and lucky not to be even further behind. The same was true for Wales, as both of these teams wend behind early in their last-eight matches - so perhaps the first goals isn't as important here as it usually proves to be.
12'
Wales are struggling to keep the ball for prolonged periods, with the likes of Bale and Robson-Kanu very limited in possession up to this point. When Coleman's side do win it back, they're quick to try and get up the pitch, but their passes have been lacking the required quality.
10'
IMPORTANT TOUCH! Portugal continue on the ascendency, starting to penetrate this back five as they introduce some good width into their approach. Cedric finds space on the overlap and whips a teasing ball in, but Collins does so well in marking Ronaldo to win the header and clear the threat.
8'
J. Allen gets yellow.
Another slip from Allen! The Liverpool midfielder again gives possession away, this time dispossessed by Adrien Silva at the halfway line. He manages to win it back off Nani, seconds later, but does so unfairly - and that will see his name into the referee's book.
7'
STAT: This is the fourth encounter between Portugal and Wales, their first since June 2000 when the Portuguese won 3-0 in a friendly.
5'
Portugal have parked themselves in the attacking half, but they've yet to threaten the Wales back-line. Chris Coleman's side are doing an excellent job of pressing the ball, which has forced Portugal to retreat on a couple of occasion, while limiting them to hopeful balls over the top which have amounted to nothing up to this point.
3'
OUTSTANDING TACKLE! After a cagey opening couple of minutes, a loose touch from Allen gives possession away cheaply in his own half, allowing Ronaldo to break on the counter. The forward steps around Williams just a few yards outside the area, but the centre-half slides in to break up the move! Ronaldo shouts for a free-kick, but referee Jonas Eriksson saw it as a fair challenge!
1'
AND WE'RE OFF! Wales, in their dark kits, get us underway, attacking left to right, with Portugal in their light-green.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage from the Parc Olympique Lyonnais for this delectable match as Portugal and Wales battle for a spot in the 2016 European Championship final!
While their head-to-head history is brief, there’s plenty of familiarity between these two sides away from the international game. There’s been no shortage of attention paid to the battle between the two talisman, and Real Madrid team-mates Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, who will take centre-stage tonight in Lyon.
The feel-good story being written by Wales is put to the test by the proven success of Portugal tonight in Lyon. Will experience prove vital for Fernando Santos’ side or can the Dragons capture the magic of the occasion to keep their dreams alive?
CONFIRMED TEAM NEWS:
Fernando Santos' side are into the semi-final having yet to win a match in 90 minutes, with Poland the latest side to succumb to Portugal’s late heroics. Wales pulled off the impressive upset against Belgium, coming from behind to dispose of the second ranked team in the world on Friday, setting up this clash between two rather unfamiliar nations.
Portugal are in the semi-final at the European Championship for a fifth time in the last seven editions, while Wales have ventured into unchartered waters. Chris Coleman’s side are breaching foreign territory in reaching the last-four and they have a Portugal side, hungry for a first ever major title, standing in their way.
PORTUGAL (4-4-2): Patricio; Cedric, Alves, Fonte, Guerreiro; Mario, Danilo, Sanches, A. Silva; Nani, Ronaldo.
WALES (3-5-2): Hennessey; Chester, Collins, A. Williams; Gunter, Allen, Ledley, King, Taylor; Robson-Kanu, Bale.
SUBS: G. Williams, Edwards, Richards, Cotterill, Vokes, J. Williams, Ward, Vaughan, Church, O. Williams.
Portugal are dealt a big injury blow as they are without Pepe tonight (thigh). The centre-half missed training on Monday but was expected to partake in proceedings tonight, but after sweating his fitness for the last few days, Fernando Santos has been forced to leave him out of the team tonight, with Bruno Alves taking his place in defence. Raphael Guerreiro returns from injury, however, and assumes his spot at left-back, forcing Eliseu to the bench, while Danilo Pereira replaces the suspended William Carvalho.
Chris Coleman has no injury concerns, but he does have two gaping holes to replace as a result of suspensions. Ben Davies and Aaron Ramsey are ineligible to participate in the match tonight, which has prompted sparsely used West Ham defender James Collins and Leicester City midfielder Andy King into the starting XI. The duo have big shoes to fill, but with a combined 83 caps to their name, they're more than capable.
A last exchange of pleasantries between Bale and Ronaldo takes place following the national anthems, but their friendship will be put on hold for the next two hours as hostility is renewed with a spot in the final on the line. The atmosphere is splendid, so sit back and enjoy what promises to be an exceptional match of football tonight in Lyon!
These teams have had to fight for every inch as it remains scoreless heading into the interval in Lyon, at the end of an incredibly scrappy first half. There has yet to be a clear-cut scoring chance, with both keepers having very little to do up to this point. Inspiration has been lacking, but discipline certainly has not, as these two well-coached sides are in the midst of quite the tactical battle.
Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the joint-highest goalscorer in European Championship history as Portugal return to the final for the first time since 2004, when they lost to Greece as hosts. Ronaldo's goal opened the scoring shortly after the restart, before Nani doubled the advantage three minutes later, as Portugal win in 90 minutes for the first time at Euro 2016.
That's all for our live coverage from Lyon, thanks for following along. Goodbye!
Chris Coleman and this Wales side can hold their heads high following a remarkable run at this tournament, in which they exceeded all expectations, but they were undoubtedly second-best tonight as their journey comes to an end. Portugal can savour the moment, but not fot too long, as they await the winner of tomorrow's semi-final between France and Germany.
Commentary
More…