Spain will play Holland in the final of the 2010 World Cup on Sunday after beating Germany 1-0 in Durban
Spain are now the 1/2 favourites to win the World Cup at bet365
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque opted to drop out-of-form Liverpool striker Fernando Torres, instead handing a start to Pedro and it was the Barcelona forward who created the first chance of the game as he played in the in-form David Villa who got in behind the Germany defence only to see his shot blocked by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
It was a good start by Spain, who had plenty of energy in the opening stages of the game in contrast to a Germany side who did not look comfortable with being closed down quickly and given no time on the ball.
Germany's first chance came after 15 minutes when Mesut Ozil's ball into the box was less than convincingly dealt with by Iker Casillas, but it was Spain who continued to be the more likely team to open the scoring.
Unsurprisingly, Germany's best chances of success appeared to be by counter-attacking and after a Spanish move broke down, Germany had a great chance to go on the attack, but any thought of at least registering a shot on target soon ended when Lukas Podolski's pass towards Mesut Ozil failed to find it target, leaving Ozil irate and rightfully so.
As the game passed the half-hour mark, Germany were slowly starting to settle and finally made Casillas work, with the Real Madrid keeper pushing Piotr Trochowski's shot from distance away.
But as the first half came to an end, it continued to be Spain in control of the game, although if they had been more willing to shoot from distance rather than over complicating things and trying to score the perfect goal, perhaps they could have been in the lead at the interval.
Spain made the better start to the second half, with Pedro looking lively and Xabi Alonso going close with his 25-yard drive which narrowly went wide of the post.
Pedro himself went close as the game approached the hour mark with Spain turning up the tempo after several quiet minutes in which the semi-final was becoming too cagey. Pedro saw his shot well saved before the rebound was met by Andres Iniesta who drove the ball across the face of the goal and beyond David Villa. Then the ball again came to Pedro who fired wide from 20 yards out.
Germany had played much of the second half in their own half, but on 69 minutes then had a glorious opportunity to take the lead when Podolski found substitute Toni Kroos unmarked and with plenty of time at the back post, only for his shot to be parried away.
But the deadlock was finally broken in the 72nd minute as Carlos Puyol rose brilliantly from Xavi's corner to powerfully head home from ten yards out.
Germany immediately started to push forward, with Kroos seeing two corners cleared with relative ease by Spain, who for the final ten minutes surprisingly decided to take David Villa off and bring on Fernando Torres.
Torres could have immediately made it 2-0 when Spain broke through Pedro. It was a 2-on-1 situation and the Barcelona man only had to play Torres in and he was through on goal, but he opted to go it alone and lost the ball, much to the fury of the Liverpool star and the Spanish bench.
It was Pedro's last contribution as he was replaced by David Silva for the final stages of the second half.
Torres looked like a player without any confidence as he picked up the ball some 35 yards from goal but easily gave it away as Spain looked to hang on to their lead against a German side piling forward to bag a late equaliser.
But Spain held on, keeping the ball well in the closing seconds. Joachim Loew's were unable to create any late chances in injury-time as the full-time whistle blew to give Spain a 1-0 win and set up a final with Holland this Sunday night.
