Tokyo Olympics: Men's Football - Spain vs. Argentina

From the off, Spain have been Olympic favourites for football gold.

Their squad is bolstered with talent, with familiar names like Pedri, Pau Torres, Mikel Oyarzabal, Marco Asensio and Dani Olmo all featuring. No doubt the strongest XI on paper, it has looked to be theirs to lose from the off.

An opening disappointing 0-0 draw with Egypt cast some doubt over this sentiment, before their 1-0 victory over Australia sent them top of Group C. They may not have the exact shazam as the senior side, but the Olympic team's interchanging in the final third proved too much. Dominating the ball, the winner was finally found via a Oyarzabal header. Persistence and pressure eventually pierced the hearts of the Aussies.

Qualification will be achieved without defeat, but we expect Spain to further gel and find their rhythm once again.

It's easy to get confused with the national team names, and thereby start judging teams on their status outside of the Olympics. However, don't fall into this trap, particularly with Argentina.

This is not a Lionel Messi influenced side filled with attacking prowess, but instead, a very inexperienced group of players - of whom stretch from South America to the town of Middlesbrough.

Whilst it may sound as though we are being harsh, it's more of a reminder that in the Olympics, results are not exactly categorised as shocks. Australia defeated Argentina 2-0 in the opening group game - a fiesty affair in which 10 yellow cards where shown. The latter did better in their second showing though, clinching a 1-0 victory over Egypt - another tight and tense game was on show that day.

Realistically, they need a win to qualify. It will be a shock if their latest opponents, bottom of the group, do them any favours against the Aussies.

Spain's tag as the favourites to win inside 90 minutes do not surprise us, but at 10/11, they still hold value. They have shown more promise than Argentina across their two group games, with the attacking players looking more comfortable together in their last outing.

Their quality cannot be overlooked on paper, hence their tournament outright odds, and this gelling could prove pivotal at this stage of the competition.

Argentina struggled to dominate during their last win against Egypt, and the Spaniards will, as ever, centre their gameplan around ball retention. Will the former get much of a sniff at goal? Their large price of 14/5 to win the game suggests that the bookmakers aren't fancying their chances.

In terms of singles, under 2.5 goals also looks solid at 4/5. This market has landed in all four games that the two have participated in, with a Group C fixture yet to see BTTS.

To add some value onto those looking to back Spain, they are 19/10 to win to nil - a fair jump on their standard victory market.

Amongst Spain's star-studded group of players, it's a difficult job in pinpointing names that you're unfamiliar with.

The Euro 2020 Young Player of the Tournament in Pedri, has played every minute of his nation's tournament so far. At just 18, the midfielder is hitting unprecedented heights for a player of his age, with his quality shining through at Tokyo already.

Tottenham fans will no doubt be tuning in for a glimpse of Bryan Gil. The 20-year-old winger has just signed for the English club, another young talent with a big reputation in Spain. He's a versatile wide-player that is comfortable working the tight spaces on the ball - he's made two substitute appearances so far.

Over on the South American side, and it's not shocking to see their team made up of young, robust figures. Facundo Medina can operate at either centre-back or left-back, and has once been linked with a move to Manchester United. He's a solid defender and 22-years-of-age, looks to be one for the future for Argentina.

In the middle, 21-year-old Fausto Vera is a talented figure. The Argentinos Juniors midfielder is classy on the ball and will look to get his team ticking - can he do it against the Spainish trio? It will certainly be a test.