THIS is getting a bit silly now isn’t it? We’ve got to the stage where defeat to Portugal would not only be a major disappointment for Wales and the fans but also a shock to many.

All the superlatives in the dictionary have been used and reused several times over to describe the incredible progress of Chris Coleman’s men to the semi-finals of Euro 2016.

But still it’s hard to do justice to the achievements of the Welsh players over these last few weeks.

And, writing from the haven of tranquillity that is Dinard in Brittany, it is difficult to fully picture the sense of excitement back home.

A third of the population watched the win over Belgium on Friday night, which begs the question – what were the other two thirds doing?

That record Welsh TV audience for a sporting event of 1.27m will surely be broken again tomorrow night and there will be thousands more getting covered in beer at fan zones across the country.

And, with Portugal looking distinctly unimpressive so far, there is every chance that Wales will go all the way to the final in Paris on Sunday.

Not only can we dream about lining up in the final of the European Championships but, much more importantly, Wales could also be in line to play at next year’s Confederations Cup tournament in Russia!

But there is a lot of work still to be done before that particular dream can be realised.

The semi is already being talked up as a battle of the Galacticos between Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo but everyone in the Welsh camp, particularly Bale, is at pains to dismiss that notion.

Coleman is reluctant to compare the two superstars but couldn’t help contrasting the different attitudes displayed by the Real Madrid pair.

"They are obviously different types of people – different characters,” said the Wales boss in response to a question about Ronaldo’s on-pitch tantrums.

“Whatever Bale brings to the table for us, that's him. He's not manufactured, he doesn't try to be something he's not.

"To be fair to Cristiano, if that's his personality, that's him being him. He's not trying to be something he's not. You can't argue with what he's achieved in the game.

"Baleo is just a nice guy, a nice human being, a family guy. He's livelier on the pitch than off it because he doesn't say a lot. He's very much one of the lads. He's quiet, unassuming - that's just his personality.

“He has matured a bit more as he has got older but he has always been the same person really – very quiet and it doesn’t float his boat all the attention he gets. He’s very much for his wife and his children, his family in Cardiff – his mum and his dad. That is his universe.”

And, while Ronaldo is less than encouraging to his less talented teammates, Coleman believes Bale has helped lift the level of performance of the whole team.

“He could have that mentality because he’s a special player,” he said of Bale. “He could be a little bit more demanding because of his game.

“But that’s why he has got so much respect of the players because he’s not like that. They automatically want to gravitate that way to where he is and that’s how it should be.

“It’s up to all of us to try and get up there where he is as much as we can. And because he doesn’t demand that, it’s helpful. It’s helpful for the group. It’s helpful for the team spirit. That’s for sure.”

It’s a fascinating insight into the mind-set of Wales’ talisman and how, on the surface at least, he seems to be a completely different character to Ronaldo.

He’s clearly a better team player and Wales look the better team as a result.

And on an individual basis he’s been the more impressive performer at this tournament with Ronaldo particularly poor in Portugal’s quarter-final against Poland, which they eventually won on penalties.

But the Welsh players and management are correct when they say the match is about much more than Bale v Ronaldo.

Coleman is certainly not underestimating the task ahead of him against a nation that made the final of Euro 2004, the semi-finals in 2012 and the last four at the 2006 World Cup.

“Portugal have played big games in major tournaments, they've played in a final,” said Coleman.

“We won't be paying any attention in terms of what personalities they've got. It'll all be about tactically what they can do, what our strengths are.”

Weighing up those strengths and having witnessed the victory of the team over Belgium’s individuals it is hard not to conclude that Wales should come out on top again to claim their place in the Euro 2016 final.

As I said, this is getting silly now.

South Wales Argus: