July 27, (THEWILL) – Spain became the first team to reach the quarterfinals of the Olympic men’s football tournament at Paris 2024 after defeating the Dominican Republic 3-1 in Bordeaux.
The Tokyo 2020 silver medallists took an early lead through Fermin Lopez, who capitalised on a goalkeeping error.
Despite dominating possession, Spain were pegged back when Angel Montes de Oca equalised for the debutants. However, the Dominican Republic’s task grew more difficult after captain Edison Azcona was sent off just before halftime.
Spain made their numerical advantage count in the second half. Alex Baena restored their lead with a deflected strike before substitute Miguel Gutierrez added a third to seal the victory.
Egypt’s 1-0 win over Uzbekistan in Nantes confirmed Spain’s progression to the knockout stages. Ahmed Koka scored the only goal early in the match, putting Egypt in a strong position to join Spain in the last eight.
Spain will look to maintain their perfect record in their final group match, while Egypt aim to secure their own qualification in the next round of fixtures for the men’s football event.
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.
