In a surprising twist that had fans buzzing, England became the first reigning WomenEuro titleholder to lose an opener. The match against France ended 2-1, leaving the Lionesses facing an uphill battle as they kick off their title defense.
France turned up the heat with quickfire strikes from Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Sandy Baltimore toward the end of the first half. Although England’s Keira Walsh pulled one back just three minutes from time, it wasn’t enough to shift the momentum 😮.
England captain Leah Williamson shared, "The positive is that I've not seen us like that … for a while. We hold ourselves to higher standards in individual battles and we improved on that throughout the game, which is good."
The defeat also ended England manager Sarina Wiegman's flawless record in the Women’s Euros, after a brilliant run of 12 wins across two tournaments. Wiegman admitted, "We're frustrated because we had such three very good weeks and we trained really well, but that's never a guarantee that of course you win the game."
Looking ahead, the Lionesses will face the Netherlands on Wednesday before taking on Wales in their final group game. Meanwhile, France’s coach Laurent Bonadei remained grounded, emphasizing that though his team clinched a spirited victory, they are still challengers with plenty of ambition.
This rollercoaster opener sets the stage for an electrifying tournament. Stay tuned for more action on the field! ⚽🔥
Reference(s):
England become first reigning champion to lose a Women's Euro opener
cgtn.com
