Spain targets gold in second consecutive Olympic final

Spain will face France in their second consecutive Olympics football final on Friday with the hopes of banishing the nightmares of the Tokyo 2020 final loss to Brazil. The two countries have a rich history when it comes to football, and they are European heavyweight footballing nations.

Spain most recently won Euro 2024, beating England in Munich, but this time around, another set of players will hope to make their own names against Theirry Henry’s French side.

In the semifinal, France needed extra time to get past Egypt with a 3-1 victory after a 1-1 stalemate in ninety minutes. It is the first time France will play in the gold medal match since 1984 in Los Angeles when they last won Olympic gold in football.

The French team has only conceded once in their five matches at the tournament, winning all five, making them the bookmaker’s favorites, especially as they are the joint-highest scoring side in the competition with 11 goals scored at the Games alongside Spain.

Spain overcame Morocco in their semifinal with a late 85th-minute Juanlu strike to secure a 2-1 win. The last time they played in the Olympic final was in Tokyo, making Friday’s game their second final in succession. The Spaniards lost to Brazil after extra time at the delayed 2020 Olympics.

Spain’s defensive performances have been disappointing as they have kept just one clean sheet in five games and although they have only conceded five goals overall, four of those goals have been in the first half.

France coach Thierry Henry has already tagged the finals special, and their Olympic run was a success.

“This event is special because (in our sport) you don’t think about finishing second or third or winning a medal. So our story is a success – let’s make it better.” Henry said. 

In the bronze medal match between Morocco and Egypt, the former won 6-0 against the Egyptians.