CASILLAS WARNS SPAIN

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Spanish goalkeeper and captain of the national team Iker Casillas has said that his teammates should be warned enough about the danger posed by his Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. The 27-year-old Portuguese will be lining up against the Spanish in the semifinals of the Euro 2012. Even though the Real Madrid attacker did not have the best start to the competition, he has come to form at just the right stage in the competition. He almost single-handedly helped Real Madrid win the la Liga title this season, while he was crucial to Portugal’s success against the Czech Republic in the quarter-finals of the competition.

Even though he created a number of opportunities in the match against the Czech Republic, he was unable to convert most of them due to bad luck. It is the recent form that is extremely threatening for Spain according to goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who has also said that he is extremely sure that Ronaldo is yet to hit his peak form. Ronaldo is one of the top scorers in the competition after having scored three goals till date. They will know that he can single-handedly help Portugal reach the finals of the competition.

‘His season at Madrid was incredible in terms of the way he played, the goals and the records. I don’t think that right now he is at his best level. It doesn’t quite reach those extremes but if you give it a good whack it always swerves in a deceptive way. I’ll have to be on my guard,” said Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Meanwhile, Spain will be looking to hand athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente a surprise starter in the match against Portugal. Llorente impressed in the quarter-final match against France after coming on as a substitute for Fernando Torres.

RONALDO WILL EXCEL

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Former Chelsea player Ruud Gullit has said that he expects Cristiano Ronaldo to have a massive impact at the Euro 2012. The 27-year-old former Manchester United star has been in excellent form for Real Madrid this season. He has scored more than 50 goals already this season and has the chance to get even more. However, for Portugal it will all be about getting out of the group because they are in the dreaded ‘group of death’. Brazil and Netherlands are likely to be the favourites to get away from the group, but Portugal can be the surprise package at the Euro 2012 according to Ruud Gullit.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been a major performance for his club teams, but it is time that he delivered for the international team as well. This season alone Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 46 league goals from just 38 matches. This impressive performance, Ruud Gullit believes, will provide him with the much-needed confidence at a major tournament. Ruud Gullit won the European Championships with the Dutch national team back in 1968. After having went close to lifting a major trophy at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Dutch are one of the favourites to win the tournament according to Ruud Gullit.

“While there are many stars determined to leave a mark in Poland and Ukraine, I will be keenly following the performance of a select few in the tournament, those whose quality should determine how their respective teams perform in the competition. One of them would be Cristiano Ronaldo. He has come into his own under Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid and will be keen to replicate that form in the national colours. If he does so, that will make him a very dangerous customer,” said Ruud Gullit. Ronaldo has won his first major title with Real Madrid this season in the form of the Spanish league.