Arsenal's misery inspires Fabregas

"The penalty was a decisive moment, the most important moment of my life and everything went well," said the Spaniard. "It could have gone wrong but we could take a positive influence from it."

And he reckoned he had enjoyed last night's game so much, feeling no pressure, that it felt like child's play. He added: "This game was there to be enjoyed as children do when they play in the park.

"I have always felt important in this national team and when things go as well as they did, everything becomes easier. We have felt very comfortable on the pitch."

Fabregas has come on as sub in four of Spain's five matches, his only game as a starter being the final group match against Greece, when the team had already qualified for the quarter-finals and coach Luis Aragones fielded his reserves. Yet after producing a supreme hour-long performance last night, he shrugged: "I don't know if it was my best ever game for Spain but maybe after I've watched it on TV again, I'll have that opinion."

Fabregas is confident that Spain's team spirit, forged when they were being criticised for poor performances in the qualifying rounds, could see them make light of their poor record against Germany. In seven competitive matches between the countries, Spain have won just one and drawn two.

"There's always doubt from people in Spain. This is the first time in recent times when we've reached the semi-final and then the final and nobody was expecting us to be where we are now. So in those difficult moments we showed great mental strength as a team," said the Arsenal midfielder.

The unfortunate Villa, Spain's top scorer and one of the best players in the event, said he would "play on one leg" in the final if Aragones allowed him but he manfully accepted his fate. He said: "To play on Sunday would be a lottery - I would do it even if I had to play on one leg but this is a team and there are other players that will do 100 per cent better than me".