Exuberant fans massed in front of giant outdoor TV screens, newspapers splashed red across their front pages and shops closed early as football fever swept Spain ahead of the Euro 2008 final Sunday.

"Spain has a date with history," headlined the sports daily AS, hoping La Roja (The Reds) can end four decades of disappointment in international competitions and defeat Germany in Vienna.

"Now, we must do it," headlined the Catalan daily El Publico, against a background of the red team shirt across the front and back pages.

"Spain has rid itself of its ghosts and comes to this match at the height of its game," said the Marca sports daily, which also had a red front page and devoted over 50 pages to Euro 2008 coverage.

Spain's win against Italy last week ended what was seen as a "curse", in which they had lost three times on penalties in the quarter-finals of major competitions. In Thursday's semi-final, they demolished Russia 3-0.

But few doubt that Germany will be a far more dangerous opponent.

"The Germans are not a subtle team, but they're not a bunch of robots either," warned Marca.

Across the country, local authorities have set up giant television screens in public squares to allow fans to watch the match.

In central Madrid, hundreds of supporters partied in the vast Plaza Colon, many wrapped in the Spanish flag or wearing red wigs and the team shirts or with their faces painted in the red and gold national colours, as the sounds of klaxons and drum beats blared out.

And along with the high spirits were high temperatures, which soared to 35 C (95 F).

Ivan, 19, said he had come from Barcelona with several friends just to soak up the atmosphere in Madrid.

"I want to see it here, in the capital," he said, predicting a 1-0 win for Spain, but expressed alarm when asked if it could go to a shootout. "Oh no, we don't like penalties!" he said.

Others piled into bars or gathered at home, with the television audience predicted to surpass the record of 17 million, or an 84 percent market share, set during the semi-final against Russia.

The country's major department store, El Corte Ingles, many branches of which are normally open until 10:00 pm even on a Sunday, planned to close early, fearing a dearth of customers and to allow its staff to watch the match, Marca said.

Hundreds of police were also deployed in the capital, where the celebrations on Thursday paralyzed traffic in the city centre.

Travel agencies reported that packages to Vienna, including a flight and tickets to the match for between 1,200 and 1,500 euros (2,360 dollars), were sold out within hours on Friday.

Between 15,000 and 20,000 Spaniards are expected in Vienna for the match, including King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

Spain last lifted the European Cup in 1964 with victory over the former USSR in what was its only triumph at a major tournament to date. The country last reached the Euro final in 1984 when it lost to France.

While Germany were given the better odds of winning the tournament before it began, Spain's style of play - with lots of short, one-touch passes, almost always on the ground - produced a clean sweep of wins in the group stage.

Germany lost 1-2 to Croatia in the group stage.