July 27, (THEWILL) – Argentina bounced back from their opening defeat in the Olympic men’s football tournament, beating Iraq 3-1 in Lyon.
The two-time gold medallists, who lost their first match amid crowd trouble, got their campaign back on track with goals from Thiago Almada, Luciano Gondou, and Ezequiel Fernandez.
Iraq briefly levelled through captain Aymen Hussein, but Argentina’s quality shone through in the second half. The result leaves Group B finely poised, with all four teams on three points after two matches.
Ukraine stunned Morocco with a last-gasp 2-1 victory in Saint-Etienne, further complicating the group standings. Dmytro Kryskiv gave Ukraine the lead before Soufiane Rahimi equalised from the penalty spot after Ukraine were reduced to 10 men.
Morocco pushed for a winner, yet found themselves caught out in the 98th minute when Ihor Krasnopir scored the decisive goal for Ukraine. The late drama sets up a thrilling final round of group matches.
Argentina will face Ukraine in Lyon, while Morocco meet Iraq in Nice as all four teams vie for a place in the quarterfinals. The tight group situation ensures an exciting conclusion to the first stage of the tournament.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
