UEFA EURO 2008™ has been a tremendous success, and the tournament got the climax it deserved as Spain, the most consistently productive team at the finals, defeated a resilient Germany 1-0 at a noisy and colourful Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna.

Dominant force
In truth, Spain should have won by more than Fernando Torres's smartly taken 33rd-minute goal. Apart from a nervous beginning, when Germany came out of the traps with clear ambition and found holes in the normally watertight Spanish defensive unit, the Furia Roja were the dominant attacking force. Their incisive passing and subtle movement repeatedly got them behind the back of the German defence, but a loose or rushed final ball invariably let their opponents off the hook.

Shots galore
In all, Spain had 13 shots – a sizeable total for a final, and even more impressive considering that Germany managed just four. While the only save Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas had to make all night was a tame low shot from Thomas Hitzlsperger, Jens Lehmann was called into emergency action on seven occasions. That the 38-year-old was beaten only once was to his credit, but had Spain taken just a touch more care with their finishing, the contest would have been over long before referee Roberto Rosetti brought relief to the massed ranks of red and yellow-clad fans with the final whistle.

Enthralling spectacle
With both teams playing in a 4-5-1 formation, the game could have become a midfield stalemate, but each showed enterprise and courage in trying to weave their way meticulously through the maze of opposition shirts. This occasionally led to individual errors and, consequently, possession ceded in dangerous areas – with even experienced old hands like Torsten Frings and Carles Puyol catching the bug – but it ensured an enthralling spectacle.

Impressive Xavi
As usual, the players with the best pass completion rate were defenders – Spain's Carlos Marchena with 93 per cent and Germany's Per Mertesacker with 92 – but futher forward, in the heart of the action where passes are more closely tracked and intercepted, the most impressive individual was Xavi Hernández. The FC Barcelona strategist made 62 passes – more than anyone else on the field – and achieved a highly commendable 87 per cent success rate.

Potential unrealised
The possession count may have swung Germany's way in the second half – from 48 to 52 per cent – but a shortage of attacking ideas from Joachim Löw's side meant they were never able to realise their full potential up front – despite a purple patch around the hour mark when the Spanish goal came under a momentary siege.

Spain triumphant
Germany being Germany – strong of spirit and unwilling to accept defeat – Spain could not relax until the final whistle, but when it came, few in the stadium, even those sporting white shirts, could begrudge Spain their long-awaited triumph. They were not only the better team on the night, but also the best team at UEFA EURO 2008™.