The sheer quality of Spain's performance in the 1-0 win over Germany that sent the European champions into their first World Cup final has prompted coach Vicente del Bosque to wax lyrical over his talented team.
Managers rarely heap praise on the players before their run at a tournament is over but Del Bosque could not resist the chance to extol the virtues of his side after Wednesday's clinical performance against a shell-shocked German team.
"We played very well, both going forward and in defence," Del Bosque said in an interview with Spanish television.
"When a team has structure, individual talent shines through more easily," he added. "We are blessed with great players and that makes everything simpler."
The Dutch would be just as tough an opponent as the Germans on Sunday, Del Bosque predicted.
"We have to again demonstrate our capacity to be comfortable on the ball," he said. "That's how we can win. We have been deprived of success for so long and now we deserve to triumph and be at the top level."
