Paris Olympics: Can anyone stop Spain in football?! Japan couldn't, either!

After winning EURO 2024, Spain is now very close to an Olympic medal! Based on the group stage results, Japan were even a slight favourites, but the Spaniards showed they had no competition regarding the most important secondary thing in the world and sent the Samurai Blue home - 3-0. La Furia's hero was Barca's Fermin Lopez, who scored two outstanding goals, while the skipper Abel Ruiz ended Japan's dreams of the semi-final.

The two teams awaited the quarter-final clash in different moods. While the Japanese dominated the group with a maximum of nine points and a 7-0 goal difference, La Furia lost the last group stage round game to Egypt 2-1 and thus were deprived of the top spot. Japan mainly relied on its strong defence, whereas Spain wanted to combine and unite the European title and the Olympic gold medal.

And they began that mission incredibly! Already after 11 minutes, the Japanese defensive line fell short, conceding for the first time in the tournament after Fermin Lopez's long-range thunderbolt! That turned out to be the only notable chance in the first 30 minutes, during which Japan didn't make a single goal attempt. The Spaniards cleverly gave up the possession and focused on defending the lead and lurking counterattack opportunities.

At the same time, the Samurai Blue had no plan to create a chance, let alone equalize the score. And then Japan scored from their first attempt on target, but alas! VAR reacted and disallowed Mao Hosoya's goal due to offside. In the seventh minute of added time, Kashiwa Reysol's forward hit the post with a header after a cross from a mid-range free kick, being unlucky for the second time. Fortuna - the goddess of fortune - was on the Spaniards' side, leaving them on goal in front at the break.

Japanese coach Go Oiwa sent Shota Fujio, a brace-scorer against Paraguay, to the pitch from the start of the second half for the "invisible" Fuki Yamada. However, Spain threatened first after the break, once more through Lopez, who tried his luck from just outside the box, but Leo Kokubo was careful enough. Just like at the beginning of the game, the Samurai Blue were rather disheartened after the break, and La Furia was keen on using that. In the 55th minute, Alex Baena picked up a perfect pass from Fermin, but his shot went slightly wide off the far post.

Paris Olympics: Copy World Cup - paste Olympics! Merciless Morocco reach the semis!

Minutes later, Aimar Oroz's strike from the edge of the box went over the crossbar, with Spain being closer and closer to netting the second goal and probably securing the semis. The inevitable occurred seventeen minutes before the end. Sergio Gomez perfectly found Fermin at the edge of the box from a corner, who didn't hesitate much and hit a smashing volley straight into the net, making it 2-0! This goal seemed to completely stun the Japanese, who were aware they were on the verge of elimination despite finishing the group stage ideally.

With nine minutes to go, Hosoya had another opportunity, this time one-on-one, after stealing the ball from a Spanish defender, but Arnau Tenas made a comfortable save, spoiling one of Japan's last chances to return to the game. Only five minutes later, La Furia put an end to Samurai Blue's hopes. The captain, Abel Ruiz, used the confusion in the Japanese box after a corner to smash the ball behind Kokubo's back from close range - 3-0. In the semis, Spain will seek revenge for the FIFA World Cup 2022 Round of 16 defeat by Morocco, but according to the Atlas Lions' performance earlier today, La Furia will be up for a task.

OLYMPIC GAMES - MEN'S FOOTBALL

Quarter-finals

Friday

Morocco - USA 4-0 (1-0)

/Rahimi 29 pen, Akhomach 63, Hakimi 70, Maouhoub 90+1 pen/

Japan - Spain 0-3 (0-1)

/F. Lopez 11, 73, Ruiz 86/

Egypt - Paraguay 5-4 on pen (1-1)

/Adel 88 - Gomez 71/

22.00: (4.00) France M23 (3.35) Argentina M23 (2.00)

***odds are subject to change***