The Spain-Morocco match in progress© AFP
Substitute Juanlu Sanchez struck a late winner as Spain got here from behind to beat Morocco 2-1 on Monday and attain the ultimate of the Olympic males’s soccer. Morocco had led within the semi-final by a Soufiane Rahimi penalty in direction of the top of the primary half on the Stade Velodrome in Marseille. Nevertheless, Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez equalised halfway by the second interval after which arrange Sevilla right-back Sanchez to fireplace within the winner.
It’s Spain’s second consecutive look within the remaining of the Olympic males’s soccer. They needed to accept silver three years in the past in Tokyo after shedding in additional time to Brazil.
Spain, who’re chasing a second gold after triumphing in Barcelona in 1992, go to Paris for the ultimate on Friday towards both hosts France or Egypt, who play their last-four tie later.
Morocco can nonetheless declare a primary medal by successful the bronze medal match, which is able to happen on Thursday in Nantes.
Final 12 months’s Underneath-23 Africa Cup of Nations winners had impressed on their run to the semi-finals and seemed heading in the right direction to shock Spain once they went forward within the thirty seventh minute because of the prolific Rahimi. Morocco have been awarded a penalty following a VAR verify for a foul by Pablo Barrios on Amir Richardson within the field, and Rahimi stepped as much as ship the goalkeeper the flawed manner from the spot.
It was a sixth objective of the Olympics for the match’s main scorer, with 4 of his strikes coming from the penalty spot.
That despatched the massive Moroccan assist wild however Spain saved their cool to equalise by their very own star man within the 66th minute.
Lopez, a member of Spain’s triumphant Euro 2024 squad who scored twice within the Olympic quarter-final towards Japan, pounced to grab possession when the ball broke unfastened within the field and fired low into the online to make it 1-1.
With the prospect of additional time looming, Spain received it within the eighty fifth minute as Lopez discovered Sanchez bounding into the realm, and he despatched a shot low into the far nook.
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