Spain debuts with a head in the European Championship

Straight

Spain headed into the European Championship.

Three headers, half courage and half sweetness, and a penalty allowed him to sign an interesting comeback against Finland.

The team was grateful for a victory that was supposed to be easy and it became difficult to resolve a difficult moment in its European debut.

ESPSpain

4

Sandra Paños, Mapi León, Leila Ouahabi, Irene Paredes, Ona Batlle, Patri Guijarro, Irene Guerrero, Aitana Bonmatí, Esther González, Mariona Caldentey and Lucía García

FIN Finland Women

1

Tinja-Riikka Korpela, Tuija Hyyrynen, Elli Pikkujämsä, Emma Koivisto, Anna Westerlund, Adelina Engman, Emmi Alanen, Ria Öling, Eveliina Summanen, Linda Sällström, and Sanni Franssi

Goals

0-1 min.

0: Linda Sallström.

1-1 min.

25: Irene Paredes.

2-1 min.

40: Aitana Bonmati.

3-1 min.

74: Lucia Garcia.

4-1 min.

94: Mariona Caldentey.

Yellow cards Irene Paredes (min. 53) and Emmi Alanen (min. 79)

It was necessary to get out of the state of

in which the team found itself after a tense training camp due to covid, injuries, discards and back and forth that conditioned the expectations of a candidate team to play for the title in England.

Spain's options in any case did not depend on Finland, but doubts will be checked against Germany and Denmark.

The victory, in any case, was worthwhile because the match had its crumbs, as the injured Alexia Putellas warned in the Milton Keynes stands.

The coach replaced Alexia with Irene Guerrero, player by player, a way of trusting the group and trying to relativize the absence of the Ballon d'Or winner. The line-up invited each player to give their best version from their natural position and from of a plan as memorized as unbeatable since March 2020. The streak of 23 games without losing, however, was threatened at the start of the game, at 50 seconds, when Sällström crossed the ball to the Paños right post after winning the back to the two central: Mapi León and Irene Paredes.

The Spanish defense was simply out of tune with a long pass from field to field that the Finnish striker converted from the right flank to make it 0-1.

The scoreboard supported for a moment the football against Finland, physically stronger, and complicated the match for Spain.

Vilda's players had a hard time defending the opponent's direct game and reducing spaces on their court while they couldn't find the necessary passing thread to gain finishing positions against Korpela.

There were excessive centers, few unchecks and the plays were barely over in the baroque offensive of Spain.

Finland's defense applied itself in awarding corner kicks to deny an opponent so intense and persevering in opening the pitch from the wingers as lacking a goal in the absence of their top scorers, Jenni Hermoso and Alexia Putellas.

The coach replaced Alexia with Irene Guerrero, player by player, a way of trusting the group and trying to relativize the absence of the Ballon d'Or winner. The line-up invited each player to give their best version from their natural position and from of a plan as memorized as unbeatable since March 2020. The streak of 23 games without losing, however, was threatened at the start of the game, at 50 seconds, when Sällström crossed the ball to the Paños right post after winning the back to the two central: Mapi León and Irene Paredes.

The Spanish defense was simply out of tune with a long pass from field to field that the Finnish striker converted from the right flank to make it 0-1.

The scoreboard supported for a moment the football against Finland, physically stronger, and complicated the match for Spain.

Vilda's players had a hard time defending the opponent's direct game and reducing spaces on their court while they couldn't find the necessary passing thread to gain finishing positions against Korpela.

There were excessive centers, few unchecks and the plays were barely over in the baroque offensive of Spain.

Finland's defense applied itself in awarding corner kicks to deny an opponent so intense and persevering in opening the pitch from the wingers as lacking a goal in the absence of their top scorers, Jenni Hermoso and Alexia Putellas.

And it was on the ninth corner taken by Mariona Caldentey from the left that Irene Paredes headed into Korpela's net.

In the absence of imbalance up front, the Barça defense rose powerfully and furiously against a very tall defense to make it 1-1.

The 2-1 also came with a topspin header from Aitana Bonmati after a ball tempered by Mapi León's left foot: 2-1.

Mapi and Paredes made up for it with the two goals from the 0-1 play.

Before the break, the game recovered the planned script after some initial moments of anguish that did not exactly favor the necessary patience at the start of the European Championship.

Spain no longer only dominated and pressed but also won, better collectively and individually, especially due to the know-how and presence of Patri Guijarro and the arrivals of Aitana Bonmati.

In favor of the scoreboard, Spain subsided in their attack and dedicated themselves to managing the game, very comfortable with the ball and quick in the transitions caused by the more ambitious start of Finland.

The watchword was to minimize mistakes, avoid losses and secure a reassuring win ahead of Tuesday's game against Germany.

The victory was assured with a beautiful turn of the head by Lucía García after a free kick taken again by Mapi León and the 4-1 came at the last minute with a penalty converted by Mariona Caldentey.

Nobody would have said that Spain had problems with the goal, redeemed from set pieces after the defenders had more prominence than the forwards, both sustained by the industriousness of the other Vilda players.

The group's faith made it possible to hide the absences of unique soloists like Alexia and gain time on the way to the appointment with Germany.

The 4-1 invites at least to maintain confidence in Spain.

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