Second-half goals from Xavi Hernández, Daniel Güiza and David Silva sent Spain through to a UEFA EURO 2008™ final meeting with Germany as Luis Aragonés's men proved too strong for Russia in Vienna.
Spain fluent
Russia looked the team to beat as they scythed through the Netherlands in the last eight. But with thunderstorms lighting the sky above the Ernst-Happel-Stadion they struggled to get to grips with the occasion, and never looked like recovering after Xavi broke the deadlock five minutes after half-time, steering Andrés Iniesta's fine left-wing cross past Igor Akinfeev. Güiza added another with 17 minutes remaining before Silva completed a morale-boosting win for Spain ahead of Sunday's final, their first since 1984.
After their 4-1 defeat by Spain in the group stage 16 days ago, Russia coach Guus Hiddink had complained that he would have to "wake some players up". He seemed to have succeeded in breathtaking fashion, yet despite the driving rain and spectacular lightning that greeted the start of this semi-final, his charges looked to have slipped back into a torpor. It was not something that was troubling Sergio Ramos, though. Stung by criticism of his campaign to date in some quarters the Spain right-back started like a man possessed. He snapped into tackles, scampered down the wing and just failed to get on the end of Xavi's fifth-minute cross.
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