VIENNA (Reuters) - Spain overcame a torrential downpour, their own record of under-achievement and a feared Russian team to reach the final of Euro 2008 with an inspirational 3-0 victory on Thursday.

The raging storm in the Austrian capital engulfed the helpless Russians who were slipping and sliding while Spain were showing the full range of their silky skills as lightning flashed overhead.

At the end of the semi-final at the Ernst Happel stadium it was Spain who were singing in the rain.

Three second half goals from Xavi, Daniel Guiza and David Silva carried Spain into Sunday's final in Vienna where they will meet Germany, 3-2 victors over Turkey in Basel on Wednesday.

"We're in the final, it's what we all wanted but, of course, now we've got ... Germany and that's a very big challenge," said Spain coach Luis Aragones. "Our second half performance was extraordinary."

It will be Spain's first major tournament final since losing to France in Paris in the 1984 European Championship.

Despite decades of producing great players, Spain's only major tournament victory came at the 1964 European Championship when they beat Russia's predecessors, the Soviet Union, in the final in Madrid.

LIMPED OFF

But the win over Russia came at a cost. Striker David Villa, top scorer at Euro 2008 with four goals, limped off the pitch in the first half and will almost certainly miss the final with a strained leg muscle.

Spain had beaten Russia 4-1 in the tournament's group stage but few expected anything like a repeat.

Russian playmaker Andrei Arshavin had missed that game with suspension and since his return to the side the Russians had suddenly became one of the most menacing teams in the tournament, trouncing the Swedes and the Dutch.

But news emerging earlier on Thursday that Barcelona were interested in signing the Russian seemed to have a negative effect on his performance and he proved largely ineffectual.

Spain shrugged off the rain and stroked the ball around with sweet precision as they took a firm grip in the second period.

Xavi found Andres Iniesta with a pass down the left and raced to receive his cross, scoring with a volley through Russian keeper Igor Akinfeyev's legs in the 50th minute.

Substitute striker Daniel Guiza, who came on for the luckless Fernando Torres in the 69th, scored the second four minutes later when he dinked the ball over Akinfeyev after a Cesc Fabregas pass.

Fabregas, who had come on as sub for Villa, also made the third eight minutes from time with a delicate pass for Silva to latch on to.

There were many thousand Russian fans in the stadium, outnumbering the Spanish supporters, and a large group of them removed drenched clothing and bared their chests as they braved the elements.

But their spirit of no-surrender was not matched on the pitch and Guus Hiddink's men struggled to find an answer to the stylish Spanish, running out of ideas and finally energy.

Vienna's fanzones were, for the second day running, washed out with just a few neutrals ready to endure the inclement weather to see the match on large screens.

Germany, Spain's opponents in the final, stayed at their base in southern Switzerland as they prepared for the big day.

Coach Joachim Loew praised the positive attitude of midfielder Torsten Frings, who started on the bench in the semi-final, despite his return to fitness from a cracked rib.

The comments gave rise to speculation Frings could start in Sunday's final.

(Editing by Jon Bramley)