Euro 2008 Final

Germany

vs.


Spain


Spain comes into the Euro 2008 championship game having finally shed the title of biennial first round or quarterfinal flameout and will be looking to add only their second ever major tournament title (Euro ’64).

Currently ranked 4^th in the world by FIFA, Spain features a dynamic attack headed by David Villa and Fernando Torres. Unfortunately for Spain it is looking like Villa will be out for the final with a thigh injury, forcing manager Luiz Aragones to go with a 5 man midfield with Torres as the lone striker. It is highly possible that this 5 man midfield will not slow down the Spanish at all; in fact it may make them better allowing for more time in control of the ball against a tactically sound German squad.

Germany, ranked 5th in the world by FIFA, possesses a championship pedigree and will be seeking their 7^th major tournament title (Euro ’72, ’80, ’96, World Cup ’54, ’74, ’90).

Led by Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack, the Germans were less than dominant in the group stages finishing second in Group B behind Crotia. The tides sure turned in the quarterfinal when they disposed of tourney favorite Portugal. In the semifinal they got by undermanned Turkey, although it sure seemed to this viewer that the Turks played a far superior game, but since it is the final score that matters Germany gets a shot at the title.

Previous Results:

Germany leads the all time series 8-5-6. Spain won the last meeting in 2003 3-1 at Mallorca.

Prediction:

Based on football: Spain 2-1. Goals from Torres and Fabregas for Spain and Podolski for Germany.

Based on a quick Google image search of their fans: