The Athletic | Football
@TheAthleticFCEngland's defence of their European Championship title begins in defeat. Two first-half goals for France proved enough, with Keira's Walsh late effort coming in vein. #WEURO2025
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France Defeats Reigning Champion England 2-1 in Women’s Euro Opener
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France opened their UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 campaign with a 2–1 victory over defending champion England at Zurich’s Letzigrund Stadium on Saturday night. First-half strikes from Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Sandy Baltimore gave Laurent Bonadei’s side a cushion that proved decisive in front of roughly 22,500 spectators.
Katoto turned in Delphine Cascarino’s low cross on 36 minutes, and Baltimore doubled the lead three minutes later with a solo run and right-footed finish into the top corner. England thought they had scored earlier through Alessia Russo, but the effort was ruled offside after video review. Keira Walsh pulled a goal back in the 87th minute, yet Sarina Wiegman’s team—held without a shot on target before the break—could not force an equaliser during five minutes of stoppage time.
The result makes England the first reigning Women’s Euro champion to lose its opening match of a title defence. France, meanwhile, extended their perfect record of winning tournament openers to six consecutive editions and join the Netherlands on three points at the top of Group D, with Wales up next for the French side and England facing the Dutch in what is already a pivotal encounter.
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