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Both teams are next in Group B action on Tuesday as Spain take on Germany at Brentford Community Stadium, while Finland take on Denmark at Stadium MK.
Spain kick off their 2022 Women's European Championship campaign with a 4-1 victory over Finland in their Group B clash. Linda Sallstrom gave Finland a surprise lead after 50 seconds, but La Roja soon regained their composure. Skipper Irene Paredes headed home an equaliser before Aitana Bonmati put her side ahead with a precise header from distance. Lucia Garcia made it a hat-trick of headers to secure the three points before Mariona Caldentey added a fourth from the penalty spot in stoppage time.
90' + 5' FULL-TIME: SPAIN 4-1 FINLAND
Mariona Caldentey
Penalty Goal
90' + 5' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!! CALDENTEY FIRES THE SPOT-KICK INTO THE NET!!!!!!!!!!! 4-1 SPAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!! Caldentey holds her nerve to put the icing on the cake with Spain's fourth. She fires her effort high away from Korpela into the top-right corner to cap a fine performance.
90' + 4' PENALTY TO SPAIN! Pikkujamsa brings down Cardona with a poor challenge in the box and the referee points to the spot.
90' + 1' Korpela does well once again to handle a dangerous low cross from Caldentey amid the lurking presence of Pina in the middle.
90' There will be three minutes of added time.
90' SAVE! Pina tries to go for the long drive from distance, but her effort is comfortably held by Korpela.
90' CHANCE! Cardona latches on to a deep cross to the back post from Del Castillo and nods an effort towards goal. Korpela makes a good save with her body to deny Spain a fourth headed goal.
A. Rantanen
R. Öling
87' Oling makes way for the closing stages of the game and is replaced by Rantanen.
Clàudia Pina
Lucía García
86' Pina enters the fold for La Roja to replace the scorer of Spain's third, Garcia.
86' SAVE! Del Castillo cuts inside from the left flank and powers an effort towards the net, but Korpela does well to beat it away from danger.
J. Danielsson
S. Franssi
84' Danielsson replaces Franssi in the final third for Finland.
O. Ahtinen
E. Summanen
84' Summanen had a decent chance to level the scores, but failed to capitalise. Ahtinen replaces her in the middle of the park.
82' Spain's control of the game has been exemplary in the second half. Vilda will be delighted with his side's response to their slow start.
E. Alanen
Yellow Card
80' Alanen catches Lucia Garcia with a loose challenge and goes into the book.
Marta Cardona
Esther González
79' It has not been Gonzalez's day in front of goal. She is now replaced by Cardona in the final third.
Athenea del Castillo
Aitana Bonmatí
78' Bonmati has been excellent today and is now withdrawn for Del Castillo.
Mapi León
Assist
75' Leon notches her second assist of the game with a fine cross from the right flank that Lucia Garcia heads home.
Lucía García
Goal
75' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!! LUCIA GARCIA HEADS IN A THIRD!!!!! 3-1 SPAIN!!! Spain surely secure the win today as Lucia Garcia is on the spot to score their third. Leon sends another pinpoint cross from the right flank on her left foot, which arcs towards the six-yard box. It only needs a touch from Garcia and she glances her effort into the bottom-right corner past Korpela.
73' INCHES WIDE! Leon angles a dangerous cross into the box from a corner on the right flank. Gonzalez attacks the delivery, but can only nod her glancing effort inches wide of the target.
70' Finland look for space on the counter, but Sainio can only loop a cross to the back post that Sallstrom heads down into the middle. Paredes is there first for La Roja to sweep it away.
69' Guijarro releases Gonzalez in space down the left flank before the forward sends a dangerous ball across the face of goal. However, no one in a Spain shirt is there to convert the opening.
N. Kuikka
T. Hyyrynen
67' Hyyrynen is withdrawn from the right flank of the Finland defence and replaced by Kuikka.
66' Sallstrom has a run down the left flank and almost finds space in the Spain ranks, but Paredes is there to clear the danger for La Roja.
63' WIDE! Spain continue to pile on the pressure with their short passses around the edge of the Finland box. Space opens up for Leon to strike, but she places her left-footed effort narrowly wide of the left post.
62' WHAT A SAVE! Korpela produces a super diving stop to keep her side in the game to deny Aleixandri. The Spain substitute attacks a cross from the right flank from Batlle and nods an effort towards the bottom-right corner, but the Finland keeper is alert and stretches to turn the ball past the post.
Sheila García
Leila Ouahabi
61' Sheila Garcia replaces Ouahabi on the left flank.
Laia Aleixandri
Irene Guerrero
60' Aleixandri enters the action to replace Guerrero for La Roja in the middle of the park.
60' BLOCK! Leon clips a cross into the box that Bonmati flicks on and allows Caldentey to attack, but her first-time strike is blocked behind for a corner.
58' OVER! Gonzalez and Caldentey combine with a one-two from a short corner, but the former wastes her shooting chance by missing the target.
55' SAVE! Batlle raids down the right flank and beats the challenge of Pikkujamsa with ease to open up space for a strike. She fires low and hard towards goal, but Korpela pushes her effort away from danger.
Irene Paredes
Yellow Card
54' Paredes brings down Sallstrom on the charge and goes into the book.
52' Finland break again down the right flank through Summanen, but her delivery fails to beat Paredes at the near post, allowing La Roja to clear.
51' CHANCE! Finland win a free-kick on the right flank that Westerlund sends into the box. It travels through a crowd and reaches Summanen at the back post, but she can only steer a tame effort at Panos.
49' Leon swings a corner into the box from the right flank towards the near post. Gonzalez attacks it with an outstreched boot, but it deflects off Westerlund and back onto the forward before travelling behind.
48' Spain work the ball around the final third before Guerrero takes on the strike, but Korpela watches it all the way into her hands.
46' We're back under way at Stadium MK.
E. Sainio
A. Engman
46' Sainio replaces Engman at the break for Finland.
Spain were dominant despite conceding the early goal. They will be very confident of adding further strikes in the second half if they become more clinical in and around the box. Finland need to conjure a way of easing the pressure on their backline.
Spain have come from behind to take a 2-1 lead into the break against Finland in their Women's Euro 2022 Group B opener. Linda Sallstrom put Finland ahead in the first minute with a clinical finish, but La Roja took control of possession to push them back. Irene Paredes levelled the scores with a fine header before Aitana Bonmati glanced another precise header home to put Jorge Vilda's team in front.
45' HALF-TIME: SPAIN 2-1 FINLAND
45' WIDE! Caldentey pulls the strings once more and offloads to the right flank for Garcia. She takes on the strike, but scuffs her effort wide of the right post.
43' OVER! Caldentey cuts in from the left flank and wraps her boot around a powerful strike that rises just over the bar.
Mapi León
Assist
41' Leon pushes forward from the back and angles a dangerous cross into the box that is converted expertly by Bonmati.
Aitana Bonmatí
Goal
41' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!! BONMATI HEADS HOME!!!!!!! 2-1 SPAIN!!!!!!! Spain take the lead courtesy of a fine glancing header from Bonmati from just inside the box. Leon is allowed to press forward down the left flank, and she delivers a powerful cross into the middle. Bonmati makes a late run and with a free header she glances her effort away from Korpela into the top-right corner.
39' Caldentey tries to release Gonzalez with a throughball into the final third, but the forward just cannot reach it on the stretch ahead of Korpela.
38' Gonzalez tries to connect with the resulting corner from Caldentey, but she takes a poor touch and the ball trickles out for a goal-kick.
37' Caldentey has been a constant threat down the left flank. She tries to burst past Hyyrynen, but the defender does just enough to get her body in the way of a cross towards the near post.
35' Spain have space on the break now and Bonmati tees up Guerrero for a strike on her left foot, but her attempt is tame and straight at Korpela.
34' Oling wins the ball in the final third and looks for support. She offloads to Franssi, but her pass towards Sallstrom is cut out by Leon.
31' Caldentey sends a reverse into the inside-left channel for Gonzalez, but Westerlund is alert and diverts the ball away from the forward.
30' Sallstrom has space on the counter and tries to break past Leon, but the defender puts in a perfect sliding challenge to break up the attack before support arrives for La Roja.
28' Paredes has scored four of her 10 international goals against Finland.
Mariona Caldentey
Assist
26' Caldentey floats a perfect cross on her right foot from a corner to allow Paredes to attack the ball and score.
Irene Paredes
Goal
26' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!! PAREDES LEVELS THE SCORES!!!! 1-1!!!!! The skipper rises in the middle to plant a powerful header into the next to notch the equaliser for La Roja. Caldentey puts a cross from the left flank on the money, floating a perfect delivery into the box for Paredes to attack and score. It had been coming.
25' Caldentey raids down the left flank after getting the better of Hyyrynen, but the defender gets back to make an important intervention, conceding a corner.
22' Spain have the ball in the net through Guijarro, but the effort is ruled out as the ball was out of play in the build-up to the strike.
21' CLOSE! All hands on deck for Finland as Batlle releases Bonmati in the inside-right channel, but her low strike towards the near post is diverted behind by a combination of Pikkujamsa and Korpela.
21' Caldentey makes another probing run at the Finland line. She cuts inside from the left flank, but sees her delivery deflected wide and away from Gonzalez.
20' Ouahabi launches a cross into the box from the left flank that angles dangerously towards the top-right corner. Fortunately for Korpela and Finland it clips the top of the bar and travels over.
19' Korpela opts to use her fists twice from two crosses into the box from Leon. The keeper gets enough power on those punches to get the ball away from danger.
17' Paredes looks for an early ball over the top for Gonzalez, but Pikkujamsa makes a good interception on the edge of the box to steer it away from the forward.
15' Gonzalez collects on the edge of the box and goes for the early strike despite having Garcia in support. Her effort is tame and straight at Korpela.
14' Sallstrom has scored her first Euro finals goal since 2009 against England in the quarter-finals.
13' CLOSE! Finland are almost in again as Oling sends a cross to the back post for Engman to attack, but she sends her effort narrowly wide of the left post.
12' Caldentey cuts in from the left flank and looks for Bonmati, but the delivery evades her team-mate and travels out for a goal-kick.
11' Spain are dominating possession, but are not making much of an impression in the final third yet. Finland will be quietly pleased with their effort so far.
9' SAVE! Caldentey cuts in from the left flank and has space to line up a strike at goal, but Korpela watches the ball all the way and makes a comfortable stop.
7' Guerrero has space down the right flank and she drops her shoulder to fire a low ball into the middle that flashes across the face of goal.
6' Garcia tries to turn a low strike towards goal inside the Finland penalty area, but she sees her effort charged down by Hyyrynen.
5' Spain are asking questions of the Finland defence at the back, pressing down both flanks.
3' Westerlund has to be alert at the other end of the field to stop Bonmati on the charge with a sliding challenge to send the ball out for a corner.
A. Westerlund
Assist
1' Westerlund releases the run of Sallstrom behind the Spain defence with a low ball before the forward does the rest.
L. Sällström
Goal
1' WHAT A START FOR FINLAND!!!!!!! GOALLLLLLLLLL!!!!! 1-0!!!! Sallstrom latches on to a throughball and fires Finland ahead with the aid of the post. Westerlund releases the forward behind the Spain defence, taking out the entire line. Sallstrom holds her nerve and clips a finish away from Panos and into the back of the net. A perfect start for Signeul's team.
1' We're under way at Stadium MK in this Group B clash.
The players are out on the field, so we should be under way shortly.
Finland are unchanged from their defeat to Netherlands in the final warm-up match. Franssi and Sallstrom continue to lead the line with Oling and Engman providing support from the flanks.
Vilda has named a side featuring six Barcelona players for the opener toniht. Guerrero takes on the responsibility in the middle of the park to replace Putellas for the La Roja. Garcia, Gonzalez and Caldentey lead the line as they have done during the warm-up period.
FINLAND SUBS: Katrina Talaslahti, Anna Tamminen, Anna Auvinen, Olga Ahtinen, Juliette Kemppi, Nora Heroum, Jenny Danielsson, Heidi Kollanen, Natalia Kuikka, Essi Sainio, Amanda Rantanen, Jutta Rantala.
FINLAND (4-4-2): Tinja-Riikka Korpela; Tuija Hyyrynen, Anna Westerlund, Elli Pikkujamsa, Emma Koivisto; Adelina Engman, Emmi Alanen, Eveliina Summanen, Ria Oling; Linda Sallstrom, Sanni Franssi.
SPAIN SUBS: Lola Gallardo, Laia Aleixandri, Ivana Andres, Athenea del Castillo, Marta Cardona, Amaiur Sarriegi, Teresa Abelleira, Olga Carmona, Andrea Pereira, Sheila Garcia, Claudia Pina, Misa Rodriguez.
SPAIN (4-3-3): Sandro Panos; Ona Batlle, Irene Paredes, Maria Pilar Leon, Leila Ouahabi; Aitana Bonmati, Patricia Guijarro, Irene Guerrero; Lucia Garcia, Esther Gonzalez, Mariona Caldentey.
Finland have a proud record in the Women's Euros, having reached the semi-finals in 2005 and the quarter-finals in 2009. They've punched above their weight in the past, although they failed to qualify for the tournament in 2017. Anna Signeul's team will have a point to prove, but they are not entering the tourmament with momentum, having lost their last two matches, including a 2-0 defeat to Netherlands last time out in their warm-up match. A response is required to get off the mark with a win.
Spain have reached the quarter-finals of the last two iterations of the European Championships, in 2013 and 2017. Jorge Vilda will be hopeful of making another surge in the competition, although Spain's hopes have been hit by the absence of Alexia Putellas due to injury. Putellas suffered an ACL injury during the week, ruling her out of her tournament and leaving La Roja without a key cog in the middle of the park. It will be up to the rest of the ranks to pull them through the group stage.
Hello and welcome to the live commentary of the Women's Euro 2022 Group B clash between Spain and Finland at Stadium MK.
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