July 24, (THEWILL) – Spain started their Paris 2024 Olympic men’s football tournament with a 2-1 win against Uzbekistan, at the Parc des Princes. The Spanish team, aiming for a European Championship and Olympic double, recovered from a goal down to claim three points in their opening match.
Marc Pubill opened the scoring for Spain in the 29th minute, converting a set-piece from Sergio Gomez. However, Uzbekistan equalised through a penalty by Eldor Shomurodov just before half-time. Gomez redeemed himself after missing a penalty by scoring the winning goal in the second half, giving Spain the victory.
The match was not without controversy, as Uzbekistan, making their Olympic football debut, showed resilience against the Euro 2024 champions. Shomurodov was particularly impressive for the White Wolves, causing problems for the Spanish defence throughout the game.
Spain’s coach, Santi Denia, will be pleased with the result but may have concerns about his team’s performance. The Spanish side will face the Dominican Republic in their next group match, while Uzbekistan will look to bounce back against Egypt.
This victory leaves Spain with only one defeat in their last six Olympic opening matches, setting a positive tone for their campaign in Paris.
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.
