Spain comes back and goes for the gold in men's football in Paris 2024

The Spanish U23 team achieved an exciting 1-2 victory against Morocco (U23) in Marseille on Monday in one of the semi-finals of men’s football, securing a medal and now fighting to win the gold medal. Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The European team had to recover after finding themselves down on the scoreboard from the first half following the penalty converted by striker Soufiane Rahimi (m.37) after a penalty awarded following a VAR review by the main referee, the Swede Glenn Nyberg.

In the second half, the team led by Santi Denia was able to achieve a comeback thanks to taking control of the match against a Moroccan team that could not hold on to its advantage. First it was the turn of FC Barcelona player Fermín López to level the score.

In the 65th minute, the forward took advantage of a rebound inside the area to end up with a low shot placed at the left post of the African goal to make it 1-1 and fuel the hope of being able to turn the score around for the Spaniards.

In the final stretch, with La Roja still looking for the opponent’s goal although the idea of ​​extra time was beginning to gain ground, the decisive goal for the Europeans came courtesy of Juanlu, after a pass from Fermín López. The defender came in from the right and fired a cross shot that ended up meaning 2-1 (m.84).

Now the Spanish team, which already knows what it is like to win an Olympic gold after the one it won in Barcelona 1992, will seek to climb back to the top of the podium and await the winner of the semi-final between France and Egypt to find out its rival in the decisive stage.

Accident-filled semi-final

In a curious anecdote from the Paris 2024 men’s football semi-final match between Morocco and Spain, the main referee, the Uzbek Ilgiz Tantashev, had to be substituted due to injury in the 17th minute, so his place ended up being taken by the fourth official, the Swede Glenn Nyberg.

Tantashev was accidentally knocked down by Spanish player Marc Pubill who, after being pushed by a Moroccan player, ended up knocking down the referee, who had to leave the field after being treated by the medical staff.

The Uzbek referee had already been involved in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, having officiated the corresponding quarter-final match between France and Argentina, where the hosts of the universal event took the victory.

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