Marseille (France): Spain have assured the country of a medal in the men’s football event as the 2020 silver medallists completed a dramatic comeback against Morocco, winning 2-1 in the semifinals of the tournament at Stade de Marseille here on Monday. Both teams were quite even on the field with Morocco taking more shots than Spain (18-16) and both sides also sharing possession 48-52% in favour of the Spaniards.
Spain kept knocking until the 66th minute when Fermin Lopez scored a curling effort into the bottom right corner to equalise the game and rejuvenate Spain’s attack. La Roja left it late but managed to get there in the end as Lopez, the FC Barcelona forward was instrumental in the comeback and assisted substitute Juanlu Sanchez, who scored the 85th-minute winner.
Morocco and Spain had previously met in the 2O22 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 stage when they caused an incredible upset eliminating the Spaniards 3-0 in penalties after a goalless 120 minutes.
Spain are aiming to follow up on their success at Euro 2024 with a gold medal in France and they have impressed so far in the competition.
The Euro 2024 winner will face the winner of the second semifinals between France and Egypt.
Meanwhile, Morocco still have a chance to secure their first medal at the Games when they play the loser of the second semifinal in the bronze medal match. Both sides come into this game on the back of superb quarterfinal wins, as Spain beat Japan 3-0, while Morocco cruised to a 4-0 victory over the United States.
But in the end, Spain’s experience and cohesive play helped them overcome the Moroccan challenge and emerge victorious.
–IANS
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