Argentina keep Olympic football hopes alive with victory over Iraq

Seeking to recover from a contentious loss to Morocco in their first match, Argentina aimed to dominate against Iraq, who were leading Group B and aiming to reach the Olympic knockout stage for the first time since 2004.

La Albiceleste took the lead swiftly, with Julian Alvarez assisting Thiago Almada, who scored a powerful goal past Hussein Hassan in the Iraq goal.

Despite the early advantage, the South Americans struggled to create more scoring opportunities as they continued to press forward, with Alvarez playing a key role in their offensive efforts.

Approaching halftime, Almada came close to extending their lead, receiving a precise pass on the left wing, but his shot narrowly missed the target.

Iraq pushed for an equalizer before the break, which they managed to find in stoppage time, as Aymen Hussein headed Ahmed Maknazi's cross into the bottom right corner of Geronimo Rulli’s goal.

The momentum carried over into the second half, with Iraq displaying more energy than in the first. Despite this, Javier Mascherano’s team continued their dominance, quickly regaining their lead.

Kevin Zenon found himself with plenty of space on the left wing, delivering a cross to Luciano Gondou who headed the ball past Hassan from the edge of the six-yard box.

This goal halted Iraq's momentum, putting them under pressure as Argentina refused to give them any chances to get back into the game.

Argentina furthered their lead with five minutes remaining, as Enzo Fernandez scored from 20 yards out, placing the ball into the bottom left corner of Hassan's goal.

The victory moves Argentina above Iraq in Group B, aiming to avoid elimination in the group stage for the third consecutive Olympics. On the other hand, Iraq will face Morocco with hopes of securing their spot in the next round.