Posted by ESPN.com

Iniesta looks ahead to "great match" with Germany (AFP): Spain playmaker Andres Iniesta said he was looking forward to the World Cup semifinal against Germany after being named Man of the Match in Saturday's 1-0 victory over Paraguay.

David Villa scored the only goal of the game to move clear at the top of the World Cup goal-scoring charts with his fifth strike in South Africa. But it was his new Barcelona teammate Iniesta who got the fans' vote for the best performance, as it was his run through the core of the South Americans' defense that created the winner. Now he can't wait to renew rivalries with Germany, which Spain beat 1-0 in the Euro 2008 final in Vienna two years ago.

"We'll be playing Germany again, but I don't think what happened two years ago will have any bearing on the game," he said of Wednesday's semifinal in Durban. "Germany have had a brilliant World Cup so far, and regardless of their excellent results, they're also playing very well. It must be a tremendous motivation for them, but we, too, are at the top of our game. We're keen to progress further, it will be a match between two teams that like to keep ball, and I think it will be a great match."

Spain was far from its best against a well-organized and disciplined Paraguay, which worked tirelessly to close down the spaces and prevent Spain from finding its stride and executing its fluid passing game. Iniesta said credit should go to the South Americans for Spain's inability to perform to its potential.

"We had all sorts of problems in this match, we knew it would be very tough because Paraguay have been playing well throughout the entire World Cup," he said. "They made life difficult for all their opponents, and this match was decided with one quick move. We have to be delighted and proud and all other positive adjectives in the dictionary; to be amongst the four best teams in the world is something really great."