This is the 15160th most frequent Russian word.
полуфинале
"Полуфинале" means "semifinal."
Here, 'полуфинале' refers to the stage in a competitive event.
Команда выступала в полуфинале чемпионата.
The team performed in the semi-final of the championship.
In this sentence, 'полуфинале' indicates the context of the fans' expectation.
Болельщики ожидали, что их команда выиграет в полуфинале.
Fans expected that their team would win in the semi-final.
Here, 'полуфинале' specifies the specific game being discussed from that stage.