Spain through to the final after epic victory (0-1)

It was a match of firsts: our first Euros final ever, our first ever victory against Germany, our first extra time in this tournament on our first visit to Zurich...

The Letzigrund Stadion witnessed Spain’s positive gameplan right from the start of the match. Spain kicked off and so did their dominance in the opening minutes. Montse Tomé's side sought control of the ball and the game, moving it around despite the German pressure. Diagonal balls took centre stage in the early stages in an attempt to catch the Germans off guard. Germany waited for loose balls to break with fast counters, and that was how their first chance came for the Germans, with a shot from Bühl that went wide.

Spain responded with several advances down the left and right wings, having to overcome the regular fouls from a German side trying to disrupt their passing combinations. With Berger off her line, Patri Guijarro then tried her luck with a shot from near the halfway line. Spain looked for long balls to Mariona Caldentey running down the right wing and to Claudia Pina on the left.

The first big gasp from the stands came after Esther González had a point-blank shot from an Olga Carmona pass that Berger sent round the post for a corner. Both sides were sending long and diagonal balls in behind in a game that turned into an end-to-end tussle for a few minutes around the half-hour mark. Spain slowed things down again though, stringing together several approaches to the German box with Olga Carmona and Patri Guijarro acting as protagonists.

Pina, who had won a free-kick after a nutmeg, took the foul near the left corner flag, only for Irene to just miss the ball at the far post after Alexia had flicked it on at the near post. With Germany disorganised in those minutes, Esther González turned on the half-volley and went close. The resulting corner ended up with Irene hitting the woodwork and Esther trying an acrobatic follow-up. It was the 41st minute. And Spain still had more to give before the break, with a combination between Alexia and Aitana that Mariona finished tamely into the hands of the German keeper. A final first-half burst saw chances from Esther González and Claudia Pina that forced Berger to be at her best. Brazilian referee Edina Alves blew for half-time and the 22 players headed to the dressing rooms with the scores still level.

The second half began with Germany slightly more incisive until Montse Tomé's side settled back into their rhythm and regained their positions on the pitch in Zurich. Patri lofted a ball to Ona, whose run was blocked by the German keeper in the 50th minute. A dangerous shot from Aitana was cut out by the German defence. Chants of "sí se puede!" (We can do it) vibrated from the stands, from the nearly 3,000 Spanish fans in the Letzigrund Stadium, cheering on the team and enjoying the attacking efforts from Montse Tomé's side, despite their lack of reward.

Cata Coll shone to stop a Bühl chance while Montse Tomé prepared Spain’s first change. Salma Paralluelo came on for Esther González in the 68th minute. Aitana and Patri turned quickly and fired off shots while Salma searched for space up top. Montse adjusted the team again, bringing on Athenea del Castillo for Claudia Pina in the 77th minute. In her first involvement, Athenea won a free-kick, and from the following sequence of passes came a chance created by Alexia that Salma nearly connected with at the near post.

The final minutes of regular time were frantic and nervy. As four minutes of added time were announced, Salma Paralluelo tried a backheel at the near post and nearly latched onto a cross from the right by Athenea. In spite of Spain´s dominance, a massive chance was denied by Cata Coll, who stopped a wicked shot that nearly went in, followed by a point-blank save in a spectacular double save by the keeper from Pòrtol. With this dramatic moment, the match went into extra time.

Thirty more minutes with everything to play for, and Spain took the kick-off. The first minutes were again a probing phase between the two sides, but with the attacking intent clearly coming from the Spanish. Salma lost control of the ball as she was about to go one-on-one with Berger. Then, a cross from Salma, sprinting down the left flank, could not be cleanly taken down by Athenea, who was under heavy pressure from the defender. The chances in the first half of extra time kept falling Spain’s way. Cristina Martín-Prieto came on for Mariona Caldentey in the 103rd minute. Fear mingled with fatigue, leading to errors. But the brilliance of Aitana Bonmatí arrived to give Spain the lead in the 113th minute. Without much of an angle to use, but with all her heart on show, she found a way to sneak a thunderous strike in at the near post

In the 117th, Cata Coll played the role of hero once again with a spectacular save. Extra-time came to an end, and the Spanish players are through to the grand final, which will take place on Sunday at 18:00 in Basel. There, they will face the English in a rematch of the World Cup final in Australia and New Zealand, a clash that Spain won.