Linda Sällström gave Finland early hope, but Spain began their European journey in style with three precise headers and a last-minute penalty.
8th July 2022, Stadium MK, Milton Keynes, England, the first game of Group B, saw Finland and Spain play against each other. Finland looked to make an impact, while Spain wanted to prove that they came to England with the ambition to win. However, that was easier said than done for Spain. On 5th July, Spain received devastating news when Spain’s most capped player Alexia Putellas suffered an ACL injury. She is a crucial player for the team on and off the pitch. However, the Ballon d’Or winner and captain of the team decided to stay in England to support her team’s debut against Finland.
Early Scare, Determined Finish
Spain needed to replace Jenni Hermoso and Alexia Putellas, who were both injured and missed the tournament. Lucia Garcia and Irene Guerrero filled the shoes, respectively. The game kicked off, and Spain was on the attack within the first few seconds. However, the next minute, Finland caught Spain off-guard, with Linda Sällström losing the Spanish defenders and sending the ball past Sandra Panos with a beautiful finish.
Spain immediately wanted to take control but failed to finish in the final third. However, they quickly regained control, forcing a series of corners. Irene Paredes headed the equaliser from the eighth corner, delivered by Mariona Caldentey. Aitana Bonmati secured Spain’s lead at halftime with a looping header from Mapi León’s cross, then went to the sidelines to celebrate with Alexia. She was wearing the No 14 shirt of another absent teammate, Virginia Torrecilla.
Spain dominated the second half, with Laia Aleixandri coming off the bench and quickly forcing Tinja-Riikka Korpela to save a header. The third goal was once again a header that came in via a free-kick from Mapi León, headed in by Lucia Garcia. The game also saw some last-minute drama as Marta Cardona was fouled inside the box and was awarded a penalty. Mariona Caldentey took the penalty and scored her first goal of the Euros with a powerful shot. And with that, the game came to an end.
Post-Match Reaction
Aitana Bonmati won the Visa Player of the Match for her outstanding composure and technicality on the pitch and for scoring the second goal.
While Spain performed well, Finland has undoubtedly shown the will to cause upsets despite the scoreline. Drawn in the group of the death (as claimed by spectators), Finland has revealed what they can do on the pitch.
“I don’t think the scoreline tells the whole story of the match; we gave Spain a really tough time. Many of our players had a fantastic game, we worked really hard and stuck to our game plan. Spain, however, are really good in dead-ball situations and scored three goals from them. That is an area in which we must improve.”
– Anna Signeul, Finland coach.
Spanish captain Irene Paredes expressed the team’s shock after Finland scored the first goal and how sheer determination helped the team make a comeback, eventually winning them the game.
“We were in shock conceding a goal that early, but luckily we have confidence in our team, in the work we do every day, so we just tried and tried, and finally, I think we deserved to win.”
– Irene Paredes.
“We know in this type of competition a lot of goals are scored at set-pieces. At times you don’t give it the importance it deserves. It’s an important point that we’ve worked on and keep working on in both boxes. Sometimes when you can’t settle a game with your football – the Spanish style – we can resolve them with these actions.”
– Mapi Leon.
Full Time at Stadium MK, Milton Keynes
Spain 4-1 Finland
1′ Linda Sällström
26′ Irene Paredes
41′ Aitana Bonmati
75′ Lucia Garcia
90+4′ Mariona Caldentey
Photos from the fixture by James Whitehead
Written by Unnati Naidu
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