Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez scored twice to lead Spain to a 3-0 victory over Japan in the Olympic men’s football quarter-finals, securing their place in the semi-finals.
The match, held in Lyon, saw Lopez, who was also part of Spain’s Euro 2024-winning squad, deliver a standout performance.
Fermin Lopez opened the scoring early with a left-footed drive into the right corner, and after the break, he added his second goal with a dipping right-foot shot from 20 yards.
Japan had a potential equalizer ruled out late in the first half after Mao Hosoya’s effort was disallowed for offside following a lengthy VAR review.
Abel Ruiz sealed Spain’s victory with a late tap-in, ensuring a comprehensive win for the European side. Spain will now face Morocco in the semi-finals, scheduled for Monday at 17:00 BST in Marseille.
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In the other quarter-final, Morocco advanced to the last four for the first time after a dominant 4-0 victory over the United States at Parc des Princes.
Soufiane Rahimi opened the scoring with a penalty, followed by Ilias Akhomach’s close-range finish. Captain Achraf Hakimi extended Morocco’s lead with a stunning left-footed strike, and Mehdi Maouhoub rounded off the scoring with another penalty in stoppage time after a VAR review for a handball.
Hakimi expressed his appreciation for the support from fans, many of whom are familiar to him from his time at Paris Saint-Germain. “I felt like I was playing at home in this stadium where I play for my club, but also because our fans were very loud and were here in big numbers,” Hakimi said. “Fans have been following us all tournament, I hope they can follow us all the way to the final. We want to make them proud.”
