Spain won only their second major tournament on June 29, beating Germany in the Euro 2008 final in Vienna 1:0, Fernando Torres' solitary strike in the first half proving enough to separate the two teams.

Long considered international football's biggest underachievers, Spain finally broke their duck 24 years after last appearing in a final, the 13th edition of the European championship proving lucky for them.

Spain went into the tournament with the most talented squad and played the most consistent football in Austria and Switzerland, deservedly winning the trophy. Even the absence of David Villa, who ended Euro 2008 as its top scorer with four goals but missed the final with a thigh injury, did not seem to put off a Spanish side that has reached new heights of team spirit and cohesiveness.

Throughout the tournament, Spain stuck to a patient style of knocking the ball about, wearing down teams with their patient passing, and it was no different in the final.

Even though Germany started more dangerously than their opponents, Spain quickly overcame their nerves and created the first dangerous chance, Iniesta's cross deflecting off Christoph Metzelder to prompt a reflex save from Jens Lehmann in the 14th minute.

Eight minutes later, Fernando Torres rattled the bottom of the post with his header, but his moment of glory would come in the 33rd minute. The Liverpool striker chased Xavi Hernandez' long ball, beating Philipp Lahm to chip it over Lehmann and into the side of net next to the goal post.

Spain continued to dominate throughout the rest of the half, but could not take take advantage even when in numerical superiority, when Michael Ballack had to leave the field of play to have his eyebrow stitched.

Germany once again started the half stronger than their opponents, but Spain wrestled control back and Torres came close to scoring a second goal in the 55th minute, identical to his first, only to see Lehmann smother the ball at the last moment.

Joachim Loew, the German manager, tried to change the tactics of his team, taking off defensive midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger and sending on striker Kevin Kuranyi, which almost paid an instant dividend, but Ballack's piledriver in the 59th minute was just wide of Iker Casillas goal.

Germany enjoyed a brief period of superior posession and had another half-chance through Bastian Schweinsteiger, but almost went two down, only for Lehmann's reflex save to deny Sergio Ramos' header.

Lehmann was undoubtedly the busier of the two goalkeepers, Germany barely testing Casillas until the end of the match, while at the other end Marcos Senna, outstanding throughout the tournament, came close to putting the result beyond any doubt in the 81st minute, missing substitute Dani Guiza's knockdown by centimetres.

A tense last ten minutes saw a German penalty appeal turned down, correctly, by Italian referee Roberto Rosetti, while Spain winded the clock down in their opponents' half to hang on for the win and the trophy.