Photo: Sylvain Thomas/AFP
Marseille: In a thrilling semifinal football match between Spain and Morocco, the former won 2-1, confirming a medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 here on Monday. As a 2020 silver medallist, Spain made a dramatic comeback against Morocco at the Stade de Marseille, IANS reported.
Both teams were quite even on the field, with Morocco taking more shots than Spain (18-16), and both sides also shared possessions 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 is 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 has a chance to secure its first medal at the Games when it plays 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.