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Clinical Spain set up Germany final date
by John Atkin from Ernst-Happel-Stadion
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Spain`s Xavi Hernandez tries to tackle Andrei
Arshavin (¿Getty Images)
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Second-half goals from Xavi Hernandez, Daniel Guiza and
David Silva sent Spain through to a UEFA EURO 2008T final meeting with
Germany as Luis Aragones's men proved too strong for Russia in Vienna.
Spain booked
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,
playing an exquisite one-two with FC Barcelona team-mate Andres Iniesta
and steering past Igor Akinfeev. Guiza added another with 17 minutes remaining
before Silva completed a morale-boosting win for Spain ahead of Sunday's
final, their first since 1984.
Russian torpor
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, they looked to have slipped back into their
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 it was by a hair's breadth that he failed to get on
the end of Xavi's fifth-minute cross - he was popping up everywhere.
Akinfeev busy
Ramos's team-mates soon took his lead, and as much as Aragones does not
like what he terms Spain's "mustard" away jerseys, he would
have been glad his team were not in red. Disjointed at the back and sluggish
in midfield, Russia were simply struggling to find their feet. It took
a well-timed tackle from Vasili Berezutski - playing instead of the suspended
Denis Kolodin - to deny Fernando Torres a run on goal though the Liverpool
FC striker soon tested Akinfeev with a shot on the turn. The Russia goalkeeper
was in action again to deny David Villa as he fired in at the near post
as Aragones' ploy of using Iniesta to double up on the left wing caused
confusion.
Pavlyuchenko chances
Russia were looking for Andrei Arshavin to lift them out of the mire but
refuge instead came from the right boot of Roman Pavlyuchenko. The 26-year-old
gave warning with a free-kick and it took a stunning stop from Iker Casillas
to deny him just after the half-hour, Spain's man of the moment diverting
a blistering strike away from the top corner. It soon got better for Russia
as the instigator of that group stage loss, hat-trick hero Villa, limped
off and almost immediately Pavlyuchenko should have made it 1-0 but poked
wide with the goal at his mercy. He should have done better, and the profligacy
was underlined five minutes after half-time when Spain's midfield Argus
Marcos Senna turned over possession and fed Xavi. A smart exchange of
passes later and La Furia Roja were ahead.
Guiza strikes
In the crowd, Spain's Crown Princess Leticia bore a shocked expression
but in truth it had been coming, and her side were soon on the hunt for
more. Having found his range with the goal, Iniesta released Villa's replacement
Cesc Fabregas, and though the Arsenal FC man ran out of space, Aragones's
decision to revert to a five-man midfield was proving profitable. It took
an excellent challenge from Yuri Zhirkov to deny Torres as he shaped to
shoot before Fabregas and Xabi Alonso had efforts tipped over. Alonso
had been introduced moments earlier alongside Guiza, and his fellow substitute
soon sealed victory, lobbing Akinfeev after being put through by Fabregas'
perfectly-weighted dink over the defence. The No10 was the provider again
moments later as his low cross was fired in by Silva. Next up, Germany.
Euro2008.com,
27 June 2008
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