The Spanish team was the first to seal its place in the next round on Saturday after winning against the Dominican Republic by 3-1. Goals from European champions Alex Baena and Fermín López set up the victory, and Miguel Gutiérrez added the third for peace of mind. Despite dominating possession, La Roja still gives the impression of lacking a cutting edge.

Santi Denia's men started with possession-based play but barely created any danger for the opposition's goal. As happened in their opener against Uzbekistan, they struggled to find depth in their play, especially against a Dominican Republic team well organised in defence with a back five.

Spain's first major chance came in the 18th minute following a serious mistake by goalkeeper Enrique Bosl. He misjudged a clearance, leaving the ball at the feet of Abel Ruiz, who, however, failed to convert. Against such a tight defence, Spain realised their best option was to attack down the left, where Sergio Gómez and Juan Miranda provided more depth than Juanlu Sánchez and Aimar Oroz on the right. The first dangerous attacks came from this area.

The deadlock was broken in the 24th minute, following Spain's relentless high pressing. Fermín capitalised on a gift from the Dominican keeper to score the opener with a low cross-shot in a one-on-one situation. Bosl redeemed himself minutes later, preventing goals from Abel and Baena, keeping his team in the game until the equaliser arrived.

In the Dominican Republic's only significant attack of the first half, Aimar cleared the ball for a corner, the only weapon the Caribbean side could use to create any chances. And so it was: eight minutes before the break, a cross to the far post, a lapse in marking by Fermín, and a header by Ángel Montes de Oca, scoring his team's first-ever goal at the Olympics.

The equaliser added intensity to the match, leading to Edison Azcona's sending off just before half-time. Pau Cubarsí brought down the forward, who then retaliated by kicking the centre-back in the groin. The Dominican player received a red card, while the young Barcelona player got a yellow, ruling him out of the next match due to suspension.

The pattern did not change after the break. Spain continued to dominate while the Dominican Republic stayed entrenched in their own half, hoping for a miracle. Santi Denia's side returned to the pitch with clearer ideas, creating the first chance to break the deadlock just six minutes into the second half.

A cross from Miranda, one of La Roja's best performers in the match, ended with a slightly off-target header from Fermín. And just five minutes later, in the 56th minute, a shot from outside the box by Álex Baena, deflected by a Dominican defender, found the back of the net. The Spanish side regained the lead, now even more comfortable due to their numerical advantage.

The lead allowed Spain to manage the game more conservatively, taking fewer risks in their passing, although they did not abandon their attacking approach. In the 72nd minute, a team move ended with a low cross from the right by Fermín, which fell to the recently substituted Miguel Gutiérrez at the far post, who only had to tap in for the final 3-1 scoreline.

The victory made Spain the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals, rendering the third group match against Egypt a mere formality. In the other Group C match, Egypt defeated Uzbekistan 1-0, temporarily taking second place, pending the outcome of the final day.

Japan secures ticket

It wasn't until the end of the day that the name of the other team securing a place in the next round was known. Japan is the lucky one. The Japanese team, fresh from winning the AFC U-23 Asian Cup this year, secured their spot in the quarter-finals on Saturday after beating Mali 1-0.

After thrashing Paraguay 5-0 in the opening match, Japan claimed their second win in the tournament yesterday, albeit in a tighter affair with less attractive play. Tsuyoshi Oiwa's side struggled to secure the three points in Bordeaux. The goalless draw lasted until the 82nd minute, when Rihito Yamamoto scored the only goal of the match. Although Mali had the chance to reduce the deficit with a penalty in added time following a VAR review, Cheickna Doumbia missed, confirming Japan's qualification.

In the same Group D, Paraguay beat Israel 4-2 with two injury-time goals, positioning themselves as second heading into the final matchday. If the Guarani win their third match, they will advance to the quarter-finals, and even a draw against Mali would be enough, provided Israel does not beat Japan. If Mali defeats Paraguay and Israel wins against Japan, the second spot will be decided based on goal difference, potentially eliminating Paraguay.

France struggles but gains points

The host nation was involved in another challenging match, one that was not resolved comfortably, but they now have six points and are on the verge of qualifying. Last night, they secured a narrow 1-0 win over Guinea at the Nice stadium. The victory came thanks to a header from Freiburg's Kiliann Sildillia in the 75th minute, following a cross from Michael Olise.

Although Thierry Henry's team managed to resolve the match in the final stages, fear gripped them on several occasions beforehand. The Guineans scored twice, first in the 42nd minute and then in the 47th, but both goals were disallowed for offside. In the other Group A match, the United States crushed New Zealand 4-1 in Marseille.

With this victory, Henry's team is close to reaching the quarter-finals, as only a disastrous heavy defeat in their final match against New Zealand, combined with a victory for the United States against Guinea, would eliminate them from their own Olympics. Furthermore, all three teams in the group besides France still have a chance of qualifying. The United States and New Zealand both have three points, and even Guinea, despite not having scored any points yet, still hold onto hope of a miraculous outcome.

Argentina cannot shake off their pursuers

In Group B, Argentina recovered from the chaos of their initial defeat by overcoming Iraq 3-1. Javier Mascherano's team took the lead in the 14th minute with a goal from Thiago Almada, assisted by Julián Álvarez. The Iraqi team, far from being intimidated, played with intensity and equalised in first-half stoppage time with a header from captain Aymen Hussein.

Argentina regained the lead just after the hour mark. Luciano Gondou had been on the pitch for barely two minutes when he found himself unmarked at the far post to head in a precise cross from Zenón. The third goal came five minutes from the end when Kevin Zenón set up Ezequiel Fernández, from Boca Juniors, to score with a long-range shot.

Mascherano's team recorded their first win in Group B, and the result, along with Ukraine's last-minute 2-1 victory over Morocco in Saint-Étienne, means that all four teams in the section are now tied on three points. In the final round of group games on Tuesday, Argentina will face Ukraine, while Morocco will take on Iraq. Everything is still to play for.