Uzbekistan vs Spain Prediction Olympic 2024

⚽ Olympic Football Games 2024

⏰ 24 July 2024 - 14:00 GMT +1

🏟 Stadium: Parc des Princes (Paris)

Uzbekistan secured their historic first-ever Olympic Games qualification with a 2-0 victory over Indonesia in April. The White Wolves are set to begin their maiden campaign against tournament second-favorites Spain on Wednesday. With only Iraq, Dominican Republic, and New Zealand having longer odds, expectations for Uzbekistan are modest.

Despite the long odds, coach Timur Kapadze brings a squad that has seen significant investment, partly through the creation of FC Olympic in 2022, a domestic league team featuring only Olympic-eligible players. However, with just four players from that team in the 22-man Olympic squad, any potential advantages in familiarity or team spirit may be limited.

Spain enters the tournament riding high on national pride following their senior team's record-breaking fourth UEFA European Championship victory against England earlier this month. Manager Santi Denia has included two members of that victorious squad, Alex Baena and Fermin Lopez, both of whom made appearances in the group stages in Germany. They'll be aiming to add Olympic gold to their accolades.

La Roja boasts a strong Olympic record and hopes to improve on their performance in Tokyo four years ago, where they secured silver after an extra-time loss to Brazil in the final. This marks their third silver medal, following 1920 and 2000. The Spanish team aspires to emulate the success of their 1992 counterparts, who clinched gold at Camp Nou.

Where to watch Uzbekistan vs Spain?

📺 Link to watch Uzbekistan vs Spain Live Stream on TV

📋Players to watch:

• Khusain Norchaev (Uzbekistan): In-form striker with 4 goals in 6 matches for club and country since June, including the opener in the crucial qualification match against Indonesia.
• Abel Ruiz (Spain): Team captain who scored 3 goals and provided 2 assists at the Under-21 Euros last summer, also boasting 2 senior caps.

⚡Match Facts:

• This is Uzbekistan's first-ever appearance in the Olympic football tournament.
• Spain has lost only one of their opening matches (W3, D1) in their last five Olympic games.
• Spain has won silver three times (1920, 2000, 2020) and gold once (1992) in Olympic football.

💡Prediction: The clash between Uzbekistan and Spain presents a David vs Goliath scenario in Olympic football. Spain's wealth of experience, recent success at various levels, and overall quality make them clear favorites. However, Uzbekistan's underdog status and the excitement of their first-ever Olympic appearance could fuel a spirited performance. Expect Spain to dominate possession and create numerous chances, with their technical superiority likely to shine through. Uzbekistan may adopt a defensive stance and look to counter, potentially causing some nervous moments for the Spanish defense. Ultimately, Spain's class should prevail, but Uzbekistan might just make it more challenging than anticipated.

Betting Tips:

• Spain to win and over 2.5 goals in the match
• Both teams to score
• Abel Ruiz to score anytime
• Spain to win both halves
• Over 4.5 corners for Spain