Euro 2022 favourites Spain recovered from conceding a goal inside the opening minute to overpower Finland in their tournament opener in Milton Keynes.
Finland, ranked 29th in the world, stunned Spain by scoring after only 50 seconds when Linda Sallstrom collected Anna Westerlund’s long pass forward and fired a shot which went in off the inside of the post.
It could have been 2-0 11 minutes later but Adelina Engman dragged a shot wide before Spain took control.
They dominated possession and, moments after having a goal disallowed, equalised as captain Irene Paredes headed in following a corner taken by the excellent Mariona Caldentey.
Another headed goal saw Spain take the lead with Aitana Bonmati getting on the end of Maria Pilar Leon’s delivery.
Lucia Garcia settled Spain’s nerves in the 75th minute with a third headed goal, before Caldentey converted an injury-time penalty to ensure her country made a winning start.
Spain survive scare with injured Putellas watching on
Spain are betting favourites to win the competition for the first time after a run of form that saw them go into the tournament unbeaten in 23 matches, having scored more than 100 goals and only conceded three in that time.
However, their preparations had been severely hampered by two key injuries.
Record goalscorer Jennifer Hermoso was ruled out of the squad after suffering a knee injury in June before Alexia Putellas, the reigning Ballon d’Or holder, suffered a serious anterior cruciate ligament knee injury in training on Tuesday.
Putellas, last season’s top scorer in the Champions League, was at Stadium MK on crutches and posed with her team-mates before the match started, with them holding up her shirt.
After Bonmati, one of seven Barcelona players who started the match, had put Spain ahead, she ran over to celebrate with Barca team-mate Putellas.
Spain, who go top of Group B with Denmark and Germany playing at Brentford’s Community Stadium later on Friday, saw Manchester United’s Ona Batlle denied by Korpela, who then also saved from substitute Laia Aleixandri.
But those misses did not prove costly as Garcia headed in a third to kill the game off, with Caldentey adding a penalty with the last kick of the match.
Finland start well, but overpowered
Finland’s goal, the second fastest in the tournament’s history, came after bookmakers had them at odds of nearly 50-1 to win the match, 200-1 to win the group and 500-1 to win the competition.
However, after Engman’s miss that could have made it 2-0, they saw little of the ball and had to defend deep and in numbers.
Tottenham goalkeeper Tinja-Riikka Korpela saved from Caldentey and thought she had conceded when Patri Guerrero headed in but the goal was ruled out as the ball had gone out before Esther Gonzalez crossed it.
However, it was just a brief respite as two goals in 15 minutes saw Spain take control in front of a crowd of 16,819 – the 11th highest attendance in the tournament’s history.
Korpela’s Spurs team-mate Eveliina Summanen had a rare Finland chance in the second half but could only shoot at goalkeeper Sandra Panos, before the game was put out of their reach.
Finland reached the semi-finals when the tournament was last staged in England in 2005 but will need to gain positive results in their next two matches to stay in the competition.
Player of the match
PinaClàudia Pina
Spain
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Squad number22Player namePinaAverage rating
7.27
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Squad number6Player nameBonmatíAverage rating
7.06
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Squad number11Player nameCardona
Average rating7.00
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Squad number16Player nameMapi León
Average rating6.71
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Squad number4Player nameParedes
Average rating6.70
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Squad number10Player namedel Castillo
Average rating6.65
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Squad number21Player nameGarcía
Average rating6.56
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Squad number17Player nameGarcía
Average rating6.48
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Squad number3Player nameAleixandri
Average rating6.42
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Squad number2Player nameBatlle
Average rating6.29
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Squad number8Player nameMariona Caldentey
Average rating6.13
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Squad number15Player nameOuahabi
Average rating6.07
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Squad number13Player namePaños
Average rating6.05
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Squad number7Player nameGuerrero
Average rating5.90
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Squad number9Player nameGonzález
Average rating5.89
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Squad number12Player namePatri Guijarro
Average rating5.76
Finland
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Squad number23Player nameKorpela
Average rating6.74
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Squad number18Player nameSällström
Average rating6.41
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Squad number4Player nameÖling
Average rating5.70
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Squad number19Player nameSainio
Average rating5.52
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Squad number17Player nameFranssi
Average rating5.52
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Squad number5Player nameKoivisto
Average rating5.52
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Squad number10Player nameAlanen
Average rating5.50
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Squad number20Player nameSummanen
Average rating5.48
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Squad number3Player nameHyyrynen
Average rating5.46
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Squad number16Player nameWesterlund
Average rating5.46
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Squad number7Player nameEngman
Average rating5.43
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Squad number2Player namePikkujämsä
Average rating5.24
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Squad number15Player nameKuikka
Average rating4.93
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Squad number13Player nameDanielsson
Average rating4.58
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Squad number21Player nameRantanen
Average rating4.50
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Squad number8Player nameAhtinen
Average rating4.08
Line-ups
Spain
Formation 4-3-3
- 13Paños
- 2Batlle
- 4ParedesBooked at 54mins
- 16León Cebrián
- 15OuahabiSubstituted forGarcíaat 61′minutes
- 6BonmatíSubstituted fordel Castilloat 78′minutes
- 12Guijarro Gutiérrez
- 7GuerreroSubstituted forAleixandriat 60′minutes
- 17GarcíaSubstituted forPinaat 86′minutes
- 9GonzálezSubstituted forCardonaat 79′minutes
- 8Caldentey Oliver
Substitutes
- 1Gallardo Núñez
- 3Aleixandri
- 5Andrés
- 10del Castillo
- 11Cardona
- 14Sarriegi
- 18Abelleira
- 19Carmona
- 20Pereira
- 21García
- 22Pina
- 23Rodríguez Rivero
Finland
Formation 4-4-2
- 23Korpela
- 3HyyrynenSubstituted forKuikkaat 67′minutes
- 16Westerlund
- 2Pikkujämsä
- 5Koivisto
- 7EngmanSubstituted forSainioat 45′minutes
- 20SummanenSubstituted forAhtinenat 84′minutes
- 10AlanenBooked at 80mins
- 4ÖlingSubstituted forRantanenat 87′minutes
- 18Sällström
- 17FranssiSubstituted forDanielssonat 84′minutes
Substitutes
- 1Talaslahti
- 6Auvinen
- 8Ahtinen
- 9Kemppi
- 11Heroum
- 12Tamminen
- 13Danielsson
- 14Kollanen
- 15Kuikka
- 19Sainio
- 21Rantanen
- 22Rantala
- Referee:
- Kateryna Monzul
- Attendance:
- 16,819
Match Stats
Live Text
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Match ends, Spain 4, Finland Women 1.
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Second Half ends, Spain 4, Finland Women 1.
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Goal! Spain 4, Finland Women 1. Mariona Caldentey (Spain) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
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Penalty Spain. Marta Cardona draws a foul in the penalty area.
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Penalty conceded by Elli Pikkujämsä (Finland Women) after a foul in the penalty area.
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Sheila García (Spain) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Olga Ahtinen (Finland Women).
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Attempt saved. Clàudia Pina (Spain) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Ona Batlle with a headed pass.
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Attempt saved. Marta Cardona (Spain) header from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ona Batlle with a cross.
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Foul by Athenea del Castillo (Spain).
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Essi Sainio (Finland Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Sheila García (Spain).
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Essi Sainio (Finland Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt blocked. Athenea del Castillo (Spain) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Substitution, Finland Women. Amanda Rantanen replaces Ria Öling.
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Corner, Spain. Conceded by Tinja-Riikka Korpela.
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Attempt saved. Athenea del Castillo (Spain) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Clàudia Pina.
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Substitution, Spain. Clàudia Pina replaces Lucía García.
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Substitution, Finland Women. Jenny-Julia Danielsson replaces Sanni Franssi.
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Substitution, Finland Women. Olga Ahtinen replaces Eveliina Summanen.