It’s the great overachievers against the great underachievers as Germany and Spain meet in the Euro 2008 final tonight. It is sure to be an intriguing contest of which I am very much looking forward to. They have two contrasting styles of play and this should (I’ll emphasise - should) be a very entertaining match indeed.

Of course, when I left you last, Spain still had to negotiate the difficult challenge of Russia. You may also remember that I tipped the Spanish to lose this one…… how wrong can I be? Spain were superb and the Russians never got going like they had done in their previous games against Holland and Sweden.

Admittedly, the fact that I backed Russia to win was probably a result of jumping on the ‘bandwagon’ in terms of a neutrals admiration of the Russians. Nevertheless, I was extremely disappointed with their display. Fair enough, Spain were excellent. However, I expected a lot more from Guus Hiddink’s team. It was a very one-sided game and as a spectacle it never really got going - apart from the fact you could enjoy Spain’s sublime performance.

The driving force in such a performance was Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas. The fact that he hasn’t been starting seems ludicrous. After replacing the injured David Villa, he produced one of the best midfield displays I have ever seen. That’s a big statement I know - but the influence he had on the game was quite phenomenal. Everything Spain created was through him and he had a hand in each of their goals as they romped to a 3-0 victory to secure their place in a major championship final for the first time since 1984.

Standing in the Spaniards way of Euro 2008 glory are Germany - the team that always perform above their capabilities. I heard a good point about the Germans recently. They, quite simply, only need one chance to score a goal. They may not threaten as much as some teams during the 90 minutes, but if they get an opportunity to score - they will nearly always take it. Take the semi-final against for example. Turkey had 24 shots at goal and scored twice. Germany had 10 and hit the back of the net three times. That’s how they operate and as much as people criticise them, you do have to respect what they have done in this tournament.

In terms of football betting , Spain are the favourites to win in tonight’s final. I find this surprising. Germany are three-times winners of this tournament and you’d be a brave man to bet against them. These odds are presumably based on the type of football each team has been playing - resulting in Spain being the most likely to emerge victorious.

Both teams could be without key men in this final. David Villa is almost certainly out for Spain and Michael Ballack - who has been Germany’s talisman throughout this tournament - is doubtful with a calf injury. I may be wrong, but I don’t believe this for a second. I think he will be leading his country out tonight and probably have a huge influence on the game. It could just be the Germans playing mind games with the Spanish camp.

Anyway, prediction time. After my dismal attempt at a prediction in the semi-final, I’m not exactly confident as hitting the nail on the head as far as the result is concerned. However, at a push….I’m going for Germany. I can see a 2-1 win for the Germans after extra time. I hope I am wrong to be honest as I think Spain deserve to win it, but I just can’t imagine seeing the German players upset after the game. It’s Germany for me.

Whatever happens, I hope it a fitting end to a fabulous tournament. The final deserves to be one to remember because their has been some fantastic games over the last few weeks. A stark contrast to Euro 2004 it has to be said.

I’ll be reviewing the tournament right here over my next couple of instalments, so until then - enjoy the final!