No excuses, it is now time for Luis Aragones' ghostbusters to deliver and, having laid a few spooks to rest, they are motivated to finish the business in Vienna.

Win, and shed the tag of Europe's perennial sick men. Lose, and go home with their massive reputations damaged.

Quite simply, Fernando Torres and company are up for 'Spain's Greatest Team' tag because they have been choking since their European Championship win in 1964.

It is an embarrassing fact, but the matadors have stood up and said enough is enough. They have finally proven their desire to win.

For all his cranky behaviour, read his racist slur on Thierry Henry in 2004, the codger has given his team self-belief.

It was clear from Aragones' preparations that he wants to inject a winning mentality into his brittle players.

A week before they set off for Austria, the squad met up with the 1964 team as the coach tried to inspire his men.

After their Italian job, their first win over the calcio kingpins in any World Cup/European Championship tie, the matadors are bursting with confidence.

They had also ended a three-game losing sequence on penalty shoot-outs on June 22.

It is also significant that the penalty shoot-out victory over the Azzurri gave Spain their first semi-final spot in a major competition in 24 years. They were beaten by France in the Euro 84 final.

The talent is undeniable. Torres, David Villa, Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Xavi Hernandez and Cesc Fabregas can walk into any World XI.

La Liga is, next to the omnipresent English Premier League, the second most-watched in the world.

In comparison, Russia's domestic scene receives little, if any, outside coverage.

Just imagine the loss of face if the mighty Spanish armada is torpedoed. Aragones will never let his men forget the humiliation that awaits.

He kept the squad focused, especially the likes of Torres, Villa and Xabi Alonso, who have all attracted transfer gossip.

Unlike the Portuguese, who were already packing their parachutes even before the plane went down, none of the matadors have spoken overtly about moving to other clubs.

The only certainty is Aragones, who confirmed he will be stepping down after Euro 2008 to join Fenerbahce.

Nicknamed the 'Wise Man from Hortaleza' (his hometown), the 69-year-old put that grey matter to good use, creating a team that can skin a cat in more than one way.

Against Italy, unhappy with how the ball was circulated without an end product by Barcelona midfielders Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta, he put Plan B, and Cesc Fabregas, into action.

It did not create a goal as the matadors played their worst game yet.

But Russia will have taken note that Spain are a flexible outfit, one who know the difference between tactics and Tic Tacs.

Guus Hiddink's entertainers, with Andrei Arshavin to the fore, are finding form at the right time.

Spain, on the other hand, are losing steam, with Villa and Torres looking claustrophobic when subjected to tight Italian marking.

But the matadors now have the deadly knack of turning stinkers into results.

And that is what winning teams are about.

Spain have cleared that mental hurdle. It will not be pretty against Russia.

But when have ugly losers ever complained?

meng@sph.com.sg