Brazil remained on course for back-to-back gold medals in men’s Olympic football on Wednesday while Germany met another disaster in their favourite sport by crashing out.
Brazil’s Everton striker Richarlison scored a late brace for a 3-1 victory over Saudi Arabia that saw the Rio 2016 winners into the quarter-finals as Group D winners with seven points. Richarlison now has five goals overall at the Games.
Brazil are joined in the last eight by Ivory Coast whose 1-1 draw with the 2016 silver medallists Germany was enough for them finish second. Germany needed to win to stay alive but Eduard Loewen’s goal after an own goal from Benjamin Henrichs saw them eliminated.
It was a second big setback for the nation that also went out in the last 16 at Euro 2020 last month.
South Korea and New Zealand are also in the last eight from Group B, with South Korea top on six points with an emphatic 6-0 against Honduras. Hwang Ui Jo scored a hat-trick, including two of three successful penalties.
New Zealand drew 0-0 with Romania which was enough to beat the eastern Europeans on goal difference for second place after they tied on four points each.
Groups A and C were to complete the preliminary action later Wednesday.
