Euro 2008: Spanish coach confident of win over Russia

FAN BRIGADE: Spanish fans are backing their team to continue its good run in the championship.

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Keywords: Russia, Spain

Vienna: Spain coach Luis Aragones has "full confidence" that his team will overcome Russia's speed and strength for a second time to secure a spot in the European Championship final.

Aragones expects more attacking football in Thursday's semi-final than in Spain's previous match against Italy, which the "Red Fury" won 4-2 in a penalty shootout following a scoreless draw.

"It's more open football, which in a way is better for us, but they have players who are tremendously quick in the counterattack," Aragones said on Wednesday.

"In a physical aspect they are the strongest team that we have played, but I have full confidence in the team and that we will make it. It will take a terrific effort, but we will get to the final," he said.

Overachieving Russia has no plans to ease up now that it has reached the semi-finals, especially not when it has the chance to put right its only bad performance of the tournament.

"You can lean back and say we are happy and have done more than expected and that's it. I think that's not the spirit to go into the next game," Hiddink said on the eve of the match at Ernst Happel stadium in Vienna.

The veteran coach blasted his players for giving the ball away too easily after losing to Spain 4-1 in their group opener, and they seem to have learned the lesson.

Two weeks later, the Russians have kicked Greece, Sweden and the Netherlands out of the tournament while conceding only one goal.

"It was for us, a first step in a big tournament," Hiddink said. "Amazingly after that game we made a lot or progress, so I'm proud ... to represent a team and the revival of Russian football."

Spain's players said they expected a tougher match than in the first clash in Innsbruck.

"Russia are not in the semi-finals by chance," fullback Joan Capdevila said. "They played a perfect match against the Netherlands."

A key part of the difference is that playmaker Andrei Arshavin is back in Hiddink's team after serving a two-match suspension in the group stage.

"They have seen the return of an important player and that has made them stronger," midfielder Andres Iniesta said.

Aragones said he was impressed by several Russian players besides Arshavin, including left back Yuri Zhirkov and striker Roman Pavlyuchenko.