Russia were disappointing - Spain majestic. Against the Swedish and the Dutch, the Russians had promised much. On Thursday night they did not deliver. Against Sweden and Italy, the Spanish had not been completely convincing. But in Vienna they came up trumps and earned themselves a very worthy place in Sunday’s final. The only fear for such a talented and creative squad is that a shaky German eleven will physically play them off the ball and force a result with their height advantage on set-plays. For football that would be a shame. For this group of players it would be close to tragedy. Surely we should hope creativity wins over brawn on Sunday. We should hope Luis Aragones’ men lay to rest the ghosts of past failures and cap what has been to date a hugely entertaining tournament.