Morocco vs Spain

Stade Velodrome sets the stage for a mouth-watering 2024 Olympic Games semi-final tie between Morocco and Spain.

Morocco steamrolled past the United States in the quarter-finals, scoring three unanswered goals past the hour mark en route to an overwhelming 4-0 victory to set up this blockbuster semi-final tie. It’s been a near-flawless tournament for the Atlas Lions. They’ve won three out of their four outings at the 2024 Games in Paris, except for a dismal 2-1 loss to 10-man Ukraine on Matchday 2. Tarik Sektioui’s men have been ruthless in front of goal, netting at least twice in all three wins at an average of three per match, suggesting a high-scoring contest could be on the cards. However, Morocco must defy history to reach the grand final for the first time in history after going winless in both previous encounters against Spain at the Olympics (D1, L1).

It’s worth mentioning that Spain kept a clean sheet in both those meetings, a feat they also achieved in this tournament’s quarter-finals, demolishing Japan 3-0 to land a semi-final berth for the second Olympics on the trot. That triumph saw La Roja keep a clean sheet for the first time in five competitive fixtures (W3, L2), lifting the team’s spirits ahead of this pivotal clash. Like their opposition, Santi Denia’s men have been nearly impeccable in France this summer, racking up three wins in four games (L1) while bagging 2+ goals in each victory for good measure. On top of that, Spain can draw further confidence from their stellar record in the Olympic semi-finals, having won all three previous matches at this stage.