Germany truly failed to impress me except for the last fifteen minutes against what amounted to Turkey's B team. While Phillip Lahm's goal was beautifully set-up and executed, given that they had just coughed up a lead, one wonders what would have happened if Turkey had a little more time.
Spain, on the other hand, played creatively and beat Russia at its own game. They controlled the ball effectively, tracked back well on defense and their finishing was terrific, if not perfect. What I believe will be the difference tomorrow is Spain's bench. When David Villa went down injured in the semi-final, Cesc Fabregas came in and assisted on the last two goals. When Fernando Torres was subbed out, Daniel Güiza came in and scored the second goal. A midfield consisting of Marcos Senna, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas would have most coaches salivating.
If the Germans expect to match Spain's attack, then they have a major challenge, especially if Michael Ballack is not in the game or not 100%. If they expect to win by lobbing high balls into Miroslav Klose (who, frankly has never really impressed me) and Kevin Kuranyi should he come on as a substitute, then they will be disappointed. It pains me as a Barcelona fan to admit this, but I find Iker Casillas to be a far more reliable goalkeeper than Jens Lehmann. I believe Spain will win.
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