Zidane is one of six Frenchmen on a yellow card going into the game, so the veteran must keep his volatile temper in check to avoid becoming the latest in a long line of stars to miss out on a World Cup final through suspension.

The 34-year-old midfield maestro has already been booked three times during this World Cup. One more yellow and, should France win, he will join compatriot Laurent Blanc (1998) and Germany's Michael Ballack (2002) as players who have been forced to watch the final from the sidelines.

Having so many players under threat of suspension -- Willy Sagnol, Louis Saha, Lilian Thuram, Patrick Vieira and Franck Ribery are the others -- must be a source of concern to French coach Raymond Domenech.

Portugal have shown throughout the tournament that they are adept at bringing the worst out in their opponents, with Holland and England both having players sent off against them in the knockout rounds.

The two teams also have a history, most notably the Euro 2000 semifinal, when Zidane's golden-goal penalty saw France win a stormy encounter 2-1, sparking a mass melee at the final whistle.

More recently, several members of Portugal's World Cup squad, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Hugo Viana, Helder Postiga and Tiago, played in a brutal European Under-21 championship qualifier against France in 2003.

The Portuguese qualified for the finals after a penalty shoot-out in a match notable for the sending off of France striker Djibril Cisse for punching an opponent.

Cisse was given a lengthy suspension and missed Euro 2004; Portugal's players celebrated the victory by smashing up their dressing room.

Domenech, who was the coach of the French Under-21s at the time, later accused the Portuguese players of acting like "savages". However he has been keen to play down the relevance of the 2003 contest to Wednesday's semifinal.

"Don't call this Portugal team cheats," Domenech said. "This Wednesday is all about another match, another team, another context."

Portugal's Postiga, meanwhile, acknowledged the bad blood between the two countries, who also met in the 1984 European Championship semifinal, another match won by the French.

"The rivalry between Portugal and France is enormous," Postiga said, refusing to comment on the stormy Under-21s battle. "We deserved to win that night but I'm not going to talk about what happened afterwards."

Domenech, whose side stunned holders Brazil 1-0 with a masterful quarterfinal display on Saturday, has been impressed by what he has seen so far of Portugal.

"They have players of talent, who are organised well, who can defend and cause you problems," he said.

Domenech is also wary of his opposite number, Luiz Felipe Scolari, who coached Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title and is chasing a record 13th consecutive victory in the tournament.

"Portugal are a quality side who have proved capable of imposing their style of play on their rivals," said Domenech. "I don't know Scolari but I think he's world champion isn't he?"

Scolari, who will be buoyed by the return from suspension of midfield playmaker Deco and his minder Costinha, is certain to have taken note of the fact that so many of France's players are on a knife-edge.

And Wednesday's referee, Uruguayan Jorge Larrionda, has already shown a propensity to dole out cards at this World Cup, having sent three players off during the Group E match between Italy and the United States.

Meanwhile, the master motivator Scolari has urged his team to create history by becoming the first Portuguese side to reach the World Cup final in only their fourth tournament.

"We had the chance to create a piece of history at the 2004 European Championship and we didn't take it," said Scolari, referring to Portugal's failure to win their first major tournament on home soil two years ago.

"Now we have got another chance to make history at the World Cup."

Scolari has put his team's progression through the tournament down to a newfound 'warrior spirit' that has been grafted on to Portugal's long tradition of technical excellence.

"The spirit of this team is remarkable," Scolari said. "This is a new Portugal team and it's a new spirit. It's a warrior spirit. This is what we were missing in the past.

"We had great technical players but now we have added a warrior spirit."

Teams

France (4-2-3-1)
16-Fabien Barthez; 19-Willy Sagnol, 15-Lilian Thuram, 5-William Gallas, 3-Eric Abidal; 4-Patrick Vieira, 6-Claude Makelele; 22-Franck Ribery, 10-Zinedine Zidane, 7-Florent Malouda; 12-Thierry Henry.

Head To Head

Tactics

FRANCE
Defence: Domenech started William Gallas with Lilian Thuram in the centre of defence in the build-up to the tournament. Gallas, who had previously been made to play at left back against his will, adapted in no time and the new formula works perfectly.

Right back Willy Sagnol likes to get forward. Eric Abidal, on the left, is a little more cautious. France's tight flat back four restricted Brazil to one shot on goal during the quarterfinal.

Midfield: Patrick Vieira and Claude Makelele play in front of the defence, covering plenty of ground. Zidane sticks to his playmaker's role with Franck Ribery and Florent Malouda acting as wingers, often switching sides.

Attack: Domenech will opt for a single striker in Henry, who scored the winner against Brazil. David Trezeguet has been used mostly as a late substitute so far and is expected to play that role again.

PORTUGAL
Defence: The back four have vulnerabilities but have proved rugged and determined, held the Dutch at bay and have conceded only one goal in five games. Centre-backs Ricardo Carvalho and Fernando Meira are happier on the ground than in the air while full backs Miguel and Nuno Valente sometimes appear to enjoy getting forward more than holding position.

Midfield: Playmaker Deco and midfield holding player Costinha return after missing the quarter-final against England through suspension. Maniche has been impressive so far, looks full of running and has two goals, while Cristiano Ronaldo has improved steadily and is a constant menace for defenders even if his final pass is often wanting.

Attack: Pauleta took his tally to 47 goals in 85 games when he scored the winner against Angola but has been pretty well shackled since. He knows his role well though and makes endless runs off the ball to provide a target for the midfield quintet.