Spain warn against Ronaldo fixation

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Spain warn against Ronaldo fixation

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Spain's players say that halting Ronaldo will not suffice if they are to overcome Portugal

24 June,2012 04:13 pm

Spains players say that halting Cristiano Ronaldo will not suffice if they are to overcome Iberian rivals Portugal in Wednesdays Euro 2012 semi-final.Vicente del Bosques side booked their place in the last four with a straightforward 2-0 win over France on Saturday and now face a Portugal team buoyed by the fact Ronaldo has belatedly found his feet at a major tournament.After several disappointing showings at major championships, the Real Madrid superstar has rediscovered his club form in thrilling fashion in the last week.He took Portugal into the last 16 with a brace in a 2-1 defeat of the Netherlands and then put paid to the Czech Republic on Thursday with the only goal in their last-eight encounter in Warsaw.Neither the Dutch nor the Czechs had any answer to the 27-year-olds surging raids down the left flank, and with three goals, he is now the competitions joint-top scorer.Spains players are no stranger to the prolific forward, whose qualities are familiar to both his Madrid team-mates and his rivals at Barcelona.Andres Iniesta felt Ronaldos wrath in Madrids 2-1 win over Barca at Camp Nou in April, which effectively gave Jose Mourinhos side the La Liga title, but he says it would be foolish only to focus on the Portuguese captain.Our motivation now is that we are just one step away from another final, said the Spain midfielder.Well be playing against Portugal, and not just Cristiano. They have great players and it will be difficult.Spains players will have two days less than their adversaries to prepare for Wednesdays match in Donetsk, but Iniesta says knowledge of the prize at stake will counter-balance the effects of any lingering fatigue.Well try to make sure were OK, he said. Were one game from the final, and thats all that matters.Ronaldos direct opponent at Donbass Arena is likely to be his Madrid team-mate Alvaro Arbeloa, while he will also be up against club-mates Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso.It be another great, difficult encounter, said Casillas.Portugal have put in some impressive performances, but to win the European Championship, you have to win against everyone.Along with (Lionel) Messi, Cristiano is among the best two players in the world.