Van Basten's 'Spanish' sorcerers give Spanish fans a dilemma

0 Comments | AFP, June, 2008

PARIS (AFP) — Spanish fans, expecially those who follow Real Madrid, will rejoice that David Villa's last-gasp winner against Sweden will almost certainly put off, for the time being, their having to achieve what world champions Italy and runners-up France could not.

Namely, avoid getting flattened by a Dutch steamroller.

Spain's successes over Russia and the Swedes mean Luis Aragones' men won Group D after the Russians defeated Greece 1-0 on Saturday and ended the Greeks reign as European champions.

That means a quarter-final meeting with either Romania, France - or world champions Italy, who controversially knocked the "Furia roja" out in the last eight of the 1934 and 1994 World Cups.

But at least a meeting with the Dutch will be for a later date...