It has been called the group of death, on Friday group B in the European Football Championship was kicked off with a match between Finland and Spain.
With opponents Spain, Denmark and Germany in the same group, Finland’s chances of reaching the quarter-finals, where the two best from each group go, have been judged to be small.
But Anna Signeul’s team have been clear that they are not in place to only participate and not even a minute into their first European Championship match since 2013, they got football Europe to put in their throats.
Then Anna Westerlund found with a deep lead pass to Linda Sällström. The Vittsjö player could calmly place 1-0 to Finland at the far post.
It was Sällström’s 51st goal in the national team jersey, she already holds the title as Finland’s most goal scorer of all time.
After the lead goal, it was just a matter for the Finns to resist the many and long attacks that the Spaniards produced.
They succeeded for 25 minutes.
The Barcelona defender is also the national team captain Irene Paredes reached the top of Spain’s ninth (!) Corner in the match and nodded in the equalizer.
A quarter of an hour later, club teammate Aitana Bonmati extended by also nodding the ball behind Tinja-Riikka Korpela in Finland’s goal.
On the other side of the sideline, friend Alexia Putellas stood cheering. The midfielder, who was named the world’s best player last winter, had the cruciate ligament just a few days before the premiere and now follows the team as a cheerleader.
Before the match was over had she seen another Spanish forehead fix 3-1. This time it was Lucia Garcia who in the 75th minute reached the top of Mapi Leon’s free kick. In addition, Mariona Caldentey had to close the match with a penalty goal in stoppage time.
Four goals and three points for Spain who are now doing their best in reloading. On Tuesday awaits Germany, which in advance is one of the favorites in the championship. Finland will face Denmark in a Nordic derby the same evening.