Egypt stun Spain in final group fixture at Olympics as both sides progress

Ibrahim Adel's brace at the age of 23 led Egypt to a surprising victory over Spain in Nantes, securing a 2-1 win over the pre-tournament favorites and allowing Rogerio Micale's team to advance to the quarter-finals as Group C champions.

After securing their spot in the quarterfinals with consecutive wins against the Dominican Republic and Uzbekistan, Spain, with 10 changes in their lineup, missed an opportunity to take the lead in the seventh minute when Jon Pacheco's header went wide from a set-piece.

Despite their efforts to score, Spain struggled to find the back of the net. Marc Pubill, who scored Spain's first goal in the 2024 Olympics, managed to beat Egyptian goalkeeper Hamza Alaa but hit the left-hand post.

Egypt's strategy was clear - avoid defeat to progress to the knockout stage alongside Santi Denia's Spanish team. Their plan was to catch Spain off guard on the counterattack, which almost worked in the 23rd minute when Ahmed Kouka's long-range shot had to be tipped over the bar by Alejandro Iturbe.

However, nothing could prevent Ibrahim Adel from scoring a stunning goal five minutes before half-time, as he struck a first-time rocket into the top corner of the net.

At the break and currently leading Group C, Denia did not hold back during the interval, opting to introduce two new players from the bench and implementing a more offensive tactical approach.

Despite these adjustments, Egypt extended their advantage just before the hour mark, as a poorly executed back-pass from Pacheco presented Adel with an easy opportunity to score again, finishing fortuitously over Iturbe.

In the 74th minute, Iturbe thwarted Adel's chance for a memorable hat-trick, making an impressive save against the Man of the Match's shot and instinctively reacting to block Kouka's follow-up attempt.

With a significant amount of stoppage time anticipated in the second half, Sergio Camello squandered a prime opportunity to reduce Egypt's lead, inexplicably directing his unmarked header at the back post against the foot of the post.

Samu Omorodion did manage to score a consolation goal for Spain in the 90th minute with a powerful header; however, Egypt's most effective form of defense proved to be their offense, as they celebrated their qualification and their first-ever victory over Spain.

Meanwhile, Spain is set to face the winners of Group D—either Japan or Paraguay—following Denia's decision to make extensive changes, which ultimately backfired spectacularly.