BIG BATTLE: Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Germany's Michael Ballack (next picture) are the stars to watch in the first quarter-final. -- PHOTOS: AP

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You wake up to the prospect of meeting in Basel's St Jakob Park, where Portugal face Germany in today's Euro 2008 quarter-final.

It is Switzerland's most German city, but thousands of Portuguese are on their way from other parts of the country.

So if Ballack is where the Swiss-German hearts beat, Ronaldo will not be lonely.

His hypnotic displays are the most popular anywhere there is turf. His free kicks are pretty special too, but that is one area where Ballack disputes the claim to supremacy.

Ballack's match-winner against Austria still burns in my memory. Few men could attempt it, fewer still will ever know the feeling of certainty, of absolute perfection, that was written on the German captain's face when he delivered it.

Wunderbar.

It shone out from a shoddy team performance, and it reminds Portugal that you have never beaten the Germans until the final whistle. And you can never stop a Ballack free-kick when he summons that aim and energy.

But there is a player who can strike them just as well. Ballack knows him because the German's Chelsea and Ronaldo's United have come up against each other in the English Premier League and in the Champions League.

But there is a twist to this tale. The coach of Portugal, Luiz Felipe Scolari, is obviously plotting Ballack's downfall today. Yet, on July 1, the same Big Phil Scolari will be Chelsea's manager.

Hello Michael, welcome to my team. Goodbye Michael, you had to leave Euro 2008 because you got in my way.

Football is a small world that revolves around a select number of exceptional talents.

It is smaller still in the dressing rooms because Ballack knows the strengths and weaknesses of his Chelsea clubmates - the Portuguese defenders Paulo Ferreira and Ricardo Carvalho.

He will also soon be joined by right-back Jose Bosingwa, who joins Chelsea when Scolari does - and it will be no surprise if Deco goes there too.

So Ballack, the spokesman as well as the leader of the Germans, is circumspect with what he says about Portugal.

He says: 'I know a few of the players. They have very strong individuals, and not only Ronaldo.'

Ballack says what German people do not want to hear, that from what we have seen so far, Portugal have played thrilling football, Germany have scraped along.

Others in the German camp play verbal mind games with the Portuguese.

Says Jens Lehmann: 'I'm not going to elaborate here, but I have told defender Arne Friedrich about the ways to make Ronaldo less effective.'

All legal, I trust.

Germany's coach Joachim Loew has told Lehmann: 'It's not enough to tell just one defender because Ronaldo switches sides. You also have to stop other players who have similar qualities and like coming down the flanks.

'They are very quick, and good dribblers.'

Loew has already agreed with critics, including Franz Beckenbauer, that the form Germany have so far shown is far from enough to stop Portugal.

Germany will have to raise their game, but Loew also warns that Deco 'can decide a game with one pass. We'll have to double-team a lot'.

By that, one presumes he means double mark the creative players. This means sacrificing any flair or attacking style that Germany might be hiding up to this point.

It also means that Portugal will have to run hard and long to throw off German limpets attached to their backs.

It will be a dour clash especially if Lukas Podolski, Germany's only other goal-scorer after three games, is ruled out with a calf injury.

And what has Ronaldo got to say?

'Portugal have more technique and Germany play more physically.'

Push me, and I would say Portugal. But never rule out the Germans.

stsports@sph.com.sg