Then on 33 minutes, Torres put Spain ahead with a moment of sublime quality. He latched onto a piercing through ball from Xavi, outpaced Philipp Lahm and chipped the ball over the advancing Lehmann with a flicked shot that could have threaded the eye of a needle.
Spain were suddenly rampant and Iniesta crossed to the back post where the unmarked David Silva had a rush of blood to the head and lashed a volley wildly over.
Spain were brimming with confidence at the start of the second period and both Xavi and Silva went close with long range efforts before Torres again outpaced the German defense, but he could not quite reach the ball before Lehmann came out to smother.
Germany coach Joachim Loew responded by sending on a second forward in Kevin Kuranyi to replace midfielder Hitzlsperger.
That immediately shifted the momentum of the game and on the hour a mistake from Puyol was almost punished as Ballack fired just wide and moments later Casillas came storming out of goal to take a cross off Kuranyi’s head.
Spain remained dangerous and Ramos forced Lehmann into a fine block with a powerful header from a Xavi free-kick before Torsten Frings cleared a shot from Iniesta off the line.
Brazil-born Marcos Senna came within inches of settling the game in the final 10 minutes, but he could not quite stretch his leg out far enough to meet substitute Daniel Guiza’s downward header with the goal at his mercy.
PLAYER OF EURO 2008
AFP, VIENNA
Spanish midfielder Xavi was named player of Euro 2008 by UEFA yesterday.
The 28-year-old Barcelona dynamo was judged to be at the heart of Spain’s triumphant campaign.
“It was him [Xavi] who gave the team its tempo,” UEFA technical director Andy Roxburgh said.
Xavi scored once in the tournament as well as creating the only of the final on Sunday for Fernando Torres.
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