The final: key battles

Before the end of what has arguably been the most entertaining major international tournament in the past 20 years, two of the pre-championship favourites prepare to do battle for what everyone is crossing their fingers will be a classic confrontation.

With an unfortunate injury ruling out tournament top-scorer David Villa, the Spanish are likely to field Torres as a lone striker with Cesc Fabregas adding even more creativity to the midfield.

The Liverpool striker has not been at his free-scoring best for his country, but one of the many things he is good at - turning the last defender before shooting - could prove the undoing of Germany's leggy centre-halves.

Metzelder and Mertesacker are enormous human beings but are not exactly the most mobile. And with Fabregas, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and David Silva sliding through balls towards the 18-yard box, the former Atletico Madrid man could really expose them.

The introduction of Brazilan-born Villarreal midfielder Senna to Spain's starting line-up has been one of the revelations of the tournament. More combative and physical than Xabi Alonso, Senna's discipline has allowed his more creative team-mates to pass teams into submission.

And his shackling of Russia playmaker Andrei Arshavin in the semi-final - the Zenit man barely touched the ball - highlighted how important a holding player can be at the highest level.

Ballack, meanwhile, has been Germany's main threat throughout the tournament but is struggling with a calf injury. How he responds to the Senna treatment could be crucial for coach Joachim Loew, who is taking a risk in fielding the Chelsea man.

Despite being under six foot, Klose is fearsome in the air. Spain and Barcelona stopper Puyol, meanwhile, has aerial talents more representative of his similar height.

Not to say that Puyol is bad with his head, he just isn't quite as good. Germany are smart enough to know that they won't get the better of Spain with the ball on the ground, so expect to see Bayern Munich striker Klose use his impressive leap to try and get the better of Puyol.

While Spain arguably have the edge in terms of form and talent, Germany's fans are notably more raucous - and numerous.

Mediterranean fans don't travel in the same numbers as their Northern and Eastern European counterparts, so their "12th man" could be the local Austrian support who one assumes will cheer anyone other than their local rivals Germany.