This is it. Germany v Spain. One of the most exciting football tournaments in recent memory is set for an almighty climax.The form:Joachim Low's Germany had to squeeze a victory out of their final group match against co-hosts Austria to guarantee a passage into the last eight. What followed were two rollercoaster 3-2 wins over much-fancied Portugal, in the quarter-finals, and a gutsy Turkey in their semi-final encounter.Luis Aragones' Spain have reached their first major final since 1984 and have won every single game en route to their showdown against the Germans. They have scored in every match except against the stingy Italians in the last eight. Arguably, their best performance came in their second encounter against a vastly-improved Russia in the semi-final.The key players:Germany's best players over the last fortnight have been defender Philipp Lahm, who scored a cracker against Turkey, and midfielders Torsten Frings and captain Michael Ballack. Lukas Podolski has chipped in with three goals and both himself and Miroslav Klose will be a threat.Spain's and the tournament's top scorer to date, David Villa, is out with a thigh injury so it looks as if Liverpool hot-shot Fernando Torres will have the scoring responsibilities resting on his young shoulders. He has great support, with Andres Iniesta, Xavi, David Silva and Cesc Fabregas producing the sort of high-quality displays reminiscent of the French midfield of Euro 84.All to play for, so who's your money on?
Posts
