We have reached the second round of matches in Group D of the Olympic Games men’s football competition. On Sunday the 25th of July we have a meeting between Germany and Saudi Arabia at the International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama.
As things stand in the group, Saudi Arabia are in third place and Germany are bottom, both yet to get off the mark.
Saudi Arabia come into the match having lost 2-1 against Ivory Coast in their opening fixture of the group. Ivory Coast took the lead 6 minutes before half time but Saudi Arabia scored the equalising goal in the 44th minute to leave the match level at the interval.
It was the African team who struck first in the second half and Saudi Arabia could not find their way back into the game for a second time.
This is the first time since the 1996 Olympic Games in in Atlanta that Saudi Arabia have qualified for the tournament. They failed at the group stage, finishing bottom of a group that contained France, Spain, and Australia, without a point to their name.
The defeat against Ivory Coast means Saudi Arabia under 23’s have failed to win any of their last 4 matches. They played two friendly games prior to the Olympic Games and lost 2-0 against Argentina and were held to a 1-1 draw by Mexico.
Germany come into the match having lost 4-2 against Brazil in their opening group game. The Germans were 3-0 down at half-time following a disappointing performance against a Brazilian team who looked on another level.
Things improved for Germany in the second half and they got a goal back in the 57th minute and added a second in the 84th minute despite being down to 10 men. However, it was Brazil who scored the sixth goal of the game as they secured the points.
Germany claimed the silver medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil and their first game of this tournament was a repeat of the final from the games five years ago. That match ended 1-1 and Germany lost via a penalty shootout.
The German under 21 team has tasted plenty of success in recent years and the under 23 team did well to reach the final in Rio but they were definitely second best against the Brazilians in the first round of Group D games.
Team news and Saudi Arabia have a squad full of players form their domestic league. Abdulrahman Ghareeb and Ayman Al Khulaif will both be hoping to start the match having featured off the substitutes bench last time out.
Germany will be without the suspended midfielder and captain, Maximilian Arnold, who was sent off against Brazil. Ragnar Ache came off the bench to score against the Brazilians and could be named in the starting XI.