The second half started as the first had flowed, with open attacking football from one end to the other. Ramos sent in a dangerous cross, then seconds later the Spanish defence were struggling to contain Zyryanov yards from their own line.

But after only four minutes Spain finally grabbed the opening goal, and it was not surprising that in such a close-fought encounter there was an element of luck involved.

Spain's Carlos Marchena (R) vies with Russia's Roman Pavlyuchenko during the semifinal match at the Euro 2008 Championships in Vienna, Austria, on June 26, 2008. (Photo: Xinhua)

Iniesta did neat work on the Spanish left and made space for himself. The angled ball he struck was not a bad one, and it was certainly intended as a shot, but it would have flown straight across the face of the goal were it not for the initiative shown by Xavi Hernandez. Charging into the box with a late run, he found himself unmarked and his momentum carried him into the position to turn Iniesta's strike into a perfect pass, which he volleyed into the net.

The goal was the turning point in the match, and transformed the whole pattern of the game. Desperate to get quickly back on level terms, the Russians' play became slightly frantic. They began to give the ball away in midfield, and over-anxious fouls led to two quick yellow cards for Zhirkov and Bilyaletdinov.

Spain were quick to take advantage of gaps as the Russians tried to press forward, and all of sudden their midfield had a stranglehold on the game. It was they, and not the Russians, who began to rain shots in on the opposition goal, with Ramos setting up Torres twice in quick succession. In the 67th minute Spain seemed to have a clear penalty claim as Torres was felled advancing on goal, but replays showed that Russian defender Ignashevich had got the faintest of touches on the ball as he challenged, and the referee was proved right.

Aragones made two substitutions in the 68th minute, with goalscorer Hernandez and the ever-threatening Torres being replaced by Xabi Alonso and Daniel Guiza. With so much time left, and at only one-up, they were surprising changes, but Aragones judgement was fully borne out within only three minutes.

Ramos played the ball from the right in to Fabregas, who executed a delightful chip into the path of Guiza. Guiza had timed his run perfectly to spring the Russian offside trap, and he made no mistake.

At two-nil, and now under the cosh, it was hard to see the Russians coming back. They were offering little up front, their attempted attacks repeatedly foundering on a solid Spanish defence, and Pavyluchenko was cutting an increasingly lonely and desperate figure.

In the 82nd minute it really was all over. Iniesta released Fabregas into space on the left, and the Arsenal man made quick progress before releasing a perfectly-timed pass to Silva in the centre. He controlled the ball with one touch, and hammered it past the despairing Akinfeev.

The Spanish fans began to celebrate a certain victory, while the Russians looked lost and forlorn. Further incidents enlivened the last ten minutes, but the outcome was no longer in any doubt.

The scale of the second-half transformation can be seen from the statistics. Spain shaded the first half, but in the second the Russians did not manage a single strike on target. By the end of the game the attempts-on-target tally was eleven to one in favour of Aragones' men.

And so to Sunday and a tantalising final between a scintillating Spain and what has proved to date a rather dour Germany. History will weigh heavily on the Spaniards' shoulders, but will it prove a millstone or an inspiration?

Comparative form is generally an unreliable guide, and in this tournament it has been utterly meaningless. Spain looked like probable champions in thrashing Russia, who looked like possible champions in thrashing Holland, who looked like possible champions in thrashing Italy, who looked rather ordinary in their goal-less draw with an equally ordinary-looking Spain...

All of this has contributed to my managing the considerable feat of predicting every single quarter-final and both semi-finals wrong. On that basis I can go for either team in the final and the other one will win. Alternatively, I could assume that sooner or later I'll get one right, and go with the form team, Spain. But I'd quite like to see this talented and entertaining Spanish side put an end to nearly fifty years of drought in major competitions, and so on that basis I really ought to pick Germany. At least I can state with confidence that it's going to be one or the other.

(China.org.cn June 27, 2008)