Euro 2012 TV Schedule: Viewing Info and Predictions for Both Semifinal Matches

Euro 2012 started with 16 of the best European teams hoping to win one of the biggest tournaments in the sport. Only four remain. As the semifinals get set to begin, any of the squads left standing have a great chance to emerge victorious on Sunday.

But first, they must focus on the task at hand. Both semifinal matches are shaping up as close battles and that should make for some exciting moments. That's all fans can really ask for, especially if they don't have a rooting interest.

Here's all of the television information for the next couple days and predictions for each of the evenly-matched clashes.

When: Wednesday, June 27 (Portugal vs. Spain) and Thursday, June 28 (Germany vs. Italy)

Start Time: 2:45 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN3.com

Portugal vs. Spain

Cristiano Ronaldo has finally stopped waiting for his teammates to make plays. Instead, he's been trying to take over games by himself and that's what Portugal needs from him in order to have a chance against the defending champions.

Portugal doesn't have nearly as much depth as Spain, but Ronaldo and Nani give them a fighter's chance at the very least. The key will be keeping the possession battle as close to even as possible. If it gets lopsided in La Roja's favor, they will cruise to victory.

The biggest concern for Spain heading into the event was how the team would handle the big stage without striker David Villa. Even though the attack has lacked some fluidity without him, La Roja has still managed to advance without much issue.

Most of the players on Spain are either teammates with Ronaldo at Real Madrid or know his tendencies from playing against him in La Liga. They will do enough to slow him down, allowing Spain to advance.

Prediction: Spain 2, Portugal 1

Germany vs. Italy

No team has been more impressive to this point than Germany. The Germans asserted themselves as the favorites by dominating the “Group of Death.” Greece gave them a scare for a moment or two in the second half of the quarterfinals, but then Germany pulled away.

Die Mannschaft have been unstoppable in the midfield, which is the main reason they have made things look so easy. Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mesut Ozil lead the charge, giving them two of the best playmakers left in the tournament.

So, Italy clearly faces an uphill battle. That said, the Azzurri played a really strong defensive game against England and a similar effort on Thursday would at least keep them within striking distance. At that point, anything can happen.

Look for Italy to use a conservative approach to limit Germany's chance, but in the end I don't expect it to be enough to pull out another win. The Germans have too much firepower to remain held down for 90 minutes.

Prediction: Germany 1, Italy 0