Sport

Sparkling Spain floors Russia

VIENNA: Very different to the first semifinal, but this too was a sumptuous match. And this time the team that was manifestly superior came out on top. And how.

The first half was full of the threatening intent and high-tempo intricacy that has made this tournament so thrilling. It didn’t, however, yield any goals because the other notable feature of the competition — confused defending — was absent.

But such was the crispness of the passing and the energy and cunning of the probing that there was always an exhilarating tautness to the game: we knew that at any moment a rupture could be forced.

Per match, Spain may have averaged 150 passes more than any other side in this tournament — and while that has frequently made it mesmerising it has sometimes suffered from a lack of variety.

On Thursday though, Spain mixed things up, occasionally spurning rapid, step-by-step interplay to arrow long balls towards David Villa and, in particular, Fernando Torres.

Initially the Russian central defensive duo of Sergey Ignashevich and Vassily Berezutski dealt valiantly with their running, while goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev confidently parried the long shots that Spain, no doubt seeking to profit from the teeming rain, fired at him.

Yet still the Spainiards lacked a little unpredictability.

Not until the 27th minute did a midfielder shift shape by breaking from deep to get beyond the forwards, but on that occasion Iniesta, after an incisive give-and-go, swiped at fresh air from 15 yards.

Ironically, it was the injury to Villa — the tournament’s top scorer — that rendered Spain more dangerous.

Cesc FÀbregas was introduced and he began to fill the role for it that the ineffectual Andrei Arshavin was supposed to perform for Russia, in the hole behind the main striker.

Spain’s angles and options soon multiplied and it began to tear holes in the opponents. Finally, the goal its play deserved arrived in the 50th minute when Xavi poked Andrés Iniesta’s pass low into the net.

Spain could have sat back but it kept on coming. Torres was denied by a fine tackle from Igasnhevich and FÀbregas drew a deft save from Akinfeev with a swirling shot from 25 yards before, on the 72nd minute the inevitable second arrived.

The excellent FÀbregas was focal, just like he was in many of Spain’s moves. Following a zippy exchange of passes, he cutely flipped the ball over the defence into the path of Dani Güiza, who finished with appropriate style.

The third, from David Silva was more straightforward but equally precise and emphatic. Naturally it was FÀbregas who effected the killer pass.

On this evidence he must start in place of the injured Villa for the final. And on this evidence Spain will rip the cumbersome German defence to shreds.

But, of course, Jogi Löw’s direct, powerful side will present the Spanish defence with the sort of challenge Russia simply could not muster. A festive exhibition of the diverse forms of attacking would constitute a fitting climax to Euro 2008.

The result: Spain 3 (Xavi Hernandez 50, D. Guiza 73, David Silva 82) bt Russia 0. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2008

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