Where are the outstanding teams and young players in this mediocre Euro 2016?

With three games to go at Euro 2016, I find myself still scratching my head and looking in vain for the outstanding team which deserves to win this tournament.

So far there hasn’t been an exceptional side nor have there been command performances from any of the so-called star players.

And aside from Renato Sanches, Portugal’s exciting youngster, and Joshua Kimmich, who has done well for Germany, there has also been a dearth of the kind of new talent which would make you feel you’re watching the emergence of a superstar of the future.

For those reasons, I would say that these Euros have been not much better than mediocre.

Where the tournament has delivered, however, is in throwing up giant-killing exploits and surprise contenders but, even so, the decision to expand the competition to 24 teams is still, to say the least of it, a debatable one.

Another disappointing aspect of Euro 2016 — and one which could have a significant bearing on the semi-finals tonight and tomorrow — is that a couple of key players are going to miss out on these huge games because they have picked up second yellow cards.

This is something the authorities should rectify in future either by declaring an amnesty after the group stage or by making it three yellows before you’re out.

To have the likes of Mats Hummels and Aaron Ramsey not playing in the semi-finals is very harsh, particularly bearing in mind how soft their transgressions were.

For Ramsey it was an instinctive, almost reflex handball when at first it looked like he might control the ball with his knee, while Hummels, who’s a pretty fair player most of the time, a footballing centre-back, got his second yellow for a foul which could hardly be described as nasty.

Tonight’s first semi-final pits Portugal against one of the real surprise packages of Euro 2016.

That said, Wales are through to the semis entirely on merit. I thought their performance against Belgium was absolutely brilliant.

To go into the game, first, as serious underdogs and then to come back from going behind to an early goal, the Welsh really had it all to do — and the most impressive thing was that they did it in such style.

While they defended and attacked as a team, Ramsey was one of their most outstanding players on the night, bringing composure as well as energy to their play, and linking really well with Joe Allen.

Those two were never frightened to receive the ball and were able to get out of tight situations.

Of course, for many, tonight’s game is all about the head to head between Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.

It’s a catchy headline and understandable up to a point since both are potential match-winners.

Bale has certainly been the more consistent of the two throughout this tournament but we shouldn’t forget that when Portugal were in big trouble against Hungary, it was Ronaldo who pulled them through single-handedly.

The big difference between them is that Bale is more of a team player, willing to put in a shift when his side doesn’t have the ball — whereas such a thought would never even enter Ronaldo’s mind.

One thing you’d have to say about Bale is that he is able to go past people and, as I suggested at the top of this piece, that’s something of which we’ve seen far too little across this tournament.

The Germany-Italy marathon was a case in point: I can’t remember anyone in that game, whether a full-back or a winger or a striker, taking on and beating his man.

So it’s hardly a surprise that Gareth Bale’s value is only increasing as he matures: he’s one of those priceless players in the modern game with the willingness and the pace and the power to take on and take him past defenders.

But it won’t be all about the ‘galacticos’ tonight: Portugal also have Sanches, a young player who is full of energy, confidence and ambition.

You can see why Bayern Munich were quick to beat everyone to the punch in signing him from Benfica.

Portugal have their own worries going into tonight’s game, not least the injury to Pepe which could rule him out.

This is the most defensive Portuguese side I can recall and Pepe marshals that defence well.

He’s coming off a good season at Real Madrid too and seems to have calmed down a bit on the pitch, much less prone to doing daft things.

So if he out for tonight’s game that will be a big blow to Portugal.

But the absence of Ramsey and Davies for Wales tips what is, otherwise, a very even contest, slightly in Portugal’s favour.

Tomorrow’s semi-final brings two of Europe’s traditional big guns face-to-face, though neither have really lived up to that billing so far.

France can probably boast the best individual performances of the tournament, from the likes of Dmitri Payet and Antoine Griezmann.

And, as we saw in the match against Iceland, Giroud’s ability in the air has been a big part of their increasingly potent attacking threat.

But I still think there are serious doubts about them at the back: France can score goals, yes, but they can definitely be got at too.

For Germany, the loss of Hummels is significant, while there are serious doubts about the availability of Khedira and Schweinsteiger. I don’t know whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing that Mario Gomez is out.

A hit and miss kind of player, he had a good game against Slovakia in the round of 16 but then he was poor in the quarter-final against Italy.

His touch is not great and a lot of moves break down around him but he is a presence up front and has become the go-to guy for the Germans — essentially in the absence of anyone else.

So who will they play in his stead tomorrow night? Maybe Draxler, maybe Gotze. Fine players but they’re still not centre-forwards. Of course, Germany won the World Cup without a centre-forward so they’ll probably believe they can do it again.

As hosts, the French have had it all their own way in this tournament in terms of ticket allocation and rest and recovery time. And they also go into this semi-final without any suspensions.

Taking all that into account — and the suspension and injury problems the Germans have — I’d give France the edge and expect them to be lining up against Portugal in the final in Paris on Sunday.

But, most of all, I’m hoping for at least one epic game.