Spain have continued their extraordinary run of success on the international stage by beating hosts France 5-3 to claim gold at the Olympics.
The gold medal match got off to an exhilarating start with four goals in the opening 28 minutes.
Enzo Millot’s effort somehow made its way past a sorry Arnau Tenas but Fermin Lopez scored twice in seven minutes – his fifth and sixth goals of the tournament – to turn the game on its head, and Alex Baena made it 3-1 with a sublime free-kick.
France were better in the second half and forced three impressive stops from Tenas.
They eventually found a way through when Maghnes Akliouche turned home Michael Olise’s free-kick in the 78th minute, setting up a tense finish inside the Parc des Princes.
And the hosts completed the most remarkable comeback when Benat Turrientes brought down Arnaud Kalimuendo inside the penalty area in the 89th minute.
Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta looked like the calmest person in the stadium as he dispatched the penalty to send the final to extra-time.
The momentum was with France, so it came as a shock to those inside the stadium when Rayo Vallecano’s Sergio Camello made it 4-3 to Spain in the first half of extra-time with a wonderfully composed finish.
This time, France were unable to find a way back into the game – indeed, Camello made it 5-3 in the 121st minute to add the cherry on top for Spain – and they will leave with a silver medal.
Did You Know?
This era of Spanish football has been nothing short of dominant.
They are now the current holders in the men’s Euros, women’s World Cup, men’s Nations League, women’s Nations League, under-19 men’s Euros, under-19 women’s Euros, and men’s Olympics.
The MVP
Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez has been a class above throughout the Olympics and he stepped up when Spain needed him in the gold medal match.
The 21-year-old displayed great movement for both of his goals, creeping into the box unnoticed to make it 1-1 and then reacting quickly to put Spain ahead.
This was a coming of age tournament for the young midfielder, who has a seriously bright future ahead.
The Big Loser
Spain exploited France’s lack of width time and time again in the first half and it was obvious that something needed to change after Baena scored Spain’s third.
Yet Thierry Henry didn’t make any personnel changes at half-time and France’s struggles out of possession continued, with Santi Denia’s Spain still able to find space and pick their passes.
Given the way his side dominated in the second half, Henry will have major regrets about his approach for this one.
They showed Spain too much respect in the opening 45 minutes and should have made the most of their momentum – and the home crowd – after making it 3-3.
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The players’ attentions will now turn to their clubs and the start of the 2024-25 season, but they’ll be hoping they’ve done enough to earn a call-up to their senior squads for the Nations League, which gets underway in September. Spain are the defending champions.
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