No Spanish pressure for Ronaldo
Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo insists that he is ready to face defending champions Spain in the semi-finals of Euro 2012.
By ESPNSTAR.com staff
His headed goal against Czech Republic in the quarter-finals pushed Portugal through to the next round of the tournament. Ronaldo's Euro 2012 goal tally stands at three, and he will be keen to extend his scoring run against several of his club team-mates when the Portuguese team take on Spain in their upcoming clash.
Paulo Bento will be hoping Ronaldo's familiarity with some of the players in La Roja will work in Portugal's advantage, but the winger believes who the team faces makes little difference to his level of performance.
"There is not any special pressure just because I am facing Spain, I have been playing at the highest level for 10 years, both at club and international level," he said to uefa.com
"Yes, I feel responsibility, but not pressure. I am used to these matches."
Although Bento's squad are not favoured to advance against the Spaniards, Ronaldo is glad that the team are still in the running at this stage of the tournament, and he will be giving his best to book Portugal a spot in the final match for the first time since their loss to Greece in Euro 2004.
"It is nice to have the chance to be in the final eight years later, it will be very hard, but we are just one one step away from doing it," Ronaldo stated.
"Spain are a great side and it will be a very interesting Iberian contest, one which I hope we can win. But it will be a tough battle."