Women’s European Championship: Germany, Spain record emphatic wins in group openers
Eight-time European champions Germany got their Euro 2022 campaign off to a flying start by hammering Euro 2017 runners-up Denmark at a sold-out Brentford Community Stadium.
Goals from Bayern Munich team-mates Lina Magull and Lea Schuller put the Germans on course for victory in the first heavyweight showdown of the tournament.
Felicitas Rauch twice struck the bar in the space of three first-half minutes for Germany before the lively Magull fired past keeper Lene Christensen for her 20th international goal.
Schuller headed the second from a corner and Wolfsburg’s Lena Lattwein made it 3-0. Germany added a fourth through substitute Alexandra Popp.
On a disastrous night for Denmark, they finished with 10 players after substitute Kathrine Kuhl was sent off for a second yellow card in the dying moments.
It was a statement win by Germany who would have won by a more handsome margin but for Christensen.
Magull might have had a hat-trick but the Denmark keeper made a string of fine saves to keep her side in the game before Germany struck three times in the second half.
With Group B rivals Spain defeating Finland 4-1 earlier on Friday, Germany moved into top spot before their match with La Roja next Tuesday.
Finland had hopes of a shock when Linda Sällström scored only the second first-minute goal in UEFA Women’s EURO finals history but Spain, despite key injuries, underlined their status among the tournament favourites as they swiftly turned the game in Milton Keynes to win their Group B opener 4-1.
Spain had Irene Guerrero and Lucía García filling the places of two injured stars, their most-capped player Alexia Putellas and all-time top scorer Jenni Hermoso. And they fell behind almost instantly as Anna Westerlund’s superb through ball was met by an angled finish by Sällström.
However, Spain quickly regrouped and took control, forcing a succession of corners; it was from their eighth, sent in by Mariona Caldentey, that Irene Paredes headed the equaliser.
Aitana Bonmatí ensured Spain led at the break with a looping header from Mapi León’s cross, then ran to celebrate on the sidelines with Alexia, who was wearing the No14 shirt of another absent team-mate, Virginia Torrecilla, who underwent surgery on a brain tumour in 2020.
Little changed in the second half with Spain dominant, Laia Aleixandri coming off the bench and immediately making Tinja-Riikka Korpela save a header. The third goal came via the aerial route again as Mapi León’s teasing free-kick was nodded in by Lucía García.
There was even time for a goal scored with a Spain foot, Caldentey converting a penalty with the final kick of the game following a foul on substitute Marta Cardona.
With Germany and Spain starting with big wins, Denmark now face a battle to reach the quarter-finals.
Their next game is against Finland at Milton Keynes next Tuesday, a match they have to win to give themselves a chance of advancing.
