Football (Men)

Germany vs Ivory Coast – Group D

It didn’t start well for Germany at the Olympics after they lost their opening game against Brazil with Richarlison netting a hat-trick as they lost 4-2. It was goals galore again in Germany’s second game, this time with them coming out on top in a 3-2 thriller against Saudi Arabia. Despite being down to 10 men, Germany looked the much better side and the win was well warranted, giving them a chance of qualification. Germany now needs a win against Ivory Coast to progress through the group stage.

Ivory Coast sits 2nd, behind Brazil in the group. They gained a scoreless draw against the Brazilians in their most recent fixture, and it’s given them a good chance of heading through, all they have to do is avoid defeat against the Germans, which is easier said than done, especially when Germany need to win. Their opening game saw them beat Saudi Arabia 2-1, and they have the squad that can get something against Germany, but it will come down to who wants it more.

Spain vs Argentina – Group C

Spain leads Group C after two games, but it hasn’t gone easy for them. They drew their opener against Egypt 0-0, and they struggled against Australia, but eventually found the net late on to win 1-0. With such a strong squad, Spain looks like contenders, but it’s been typical Spanish performances lately with a lot of possession and chances that they aren’t taking. They have to be more clinical, and qualification isn’t a given yet.

Argentina lost their first game against Australia 2-0, and it was a poor performance from a team that should be performing much better. They bounced back well against Egypt, winning 1-0, and it was well deserved. They now have a chance to go on and qualify if they beat Spain, which is possible. Despite Spain having a better overall squad, they don’t show their quality and are far too passive.

Australia vs Egypt – Group C

Sitting second in a tough group, Australia can be proud of what they’ve achieved so far, and they have the chance to go on and do even better. Things got off to a great start with a surprising 2-0 win against Argentina, despite being heavy underdogs for the game. Defeat in their second game against Spain should also be admired as they kept the Spanish at bay for 80 minutes, but they’ll be disappointed to come away with a loss after giving it everything they have. Qualification is still on the horizon for Australia here with confidence likely soaring, and a good result against Egypt will put them through.

Egypt could cause an upset, and there’s still an outside chance that they can qualify themselves as they win on 1 point at the moment. The Egyptians will be hoping that things go their way, but it’s a lot to ask and the scenarios are unlikely to align for Egypt. They have some quality, and they’ll fancy beating Australia, but they could still end up heading home even with a victory.

France vs Japan – Group A

France is close to going home, and they’ll need to win here and hope Mexico fail to beat South Africa if that isn’t to happen. Their opening game against the Mexicans saw them lose heavily 4-1, and while they bounced back against South Africa, they did concede 3 goals in a 4-3 thriller. They have to somehow find a win against a strong Japanese team.

Japan sit top of Group A, 3 points ahead of Mexico in 2nd. They’ve won both their games so far, starting with a 1-0 win against South Africa and then followed it up with a fantastic 2-1 victory against the Mexicans. They’re likely to head through, and they could send France packing with a good result here. Avoid defeat and its qualification for Japan in what is a tough group.