Reigning champions England beaten 2-1 by France in Women's Euro opener

ZURICH :France forwards Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Sandy Baltimore scored first-half goals as they beat reigning champions England 2-1 in their Women's Euro Group D opener on Saturday, handing Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman her first defeat at the finals of the competition. 

After championship-winning runs with Netherlands in 2017 and England in 2022, Wiegman came into the game unbeaten in 12 games at the Euro finals, but the beginning of the end of that run came when Katoto scored from close range in the 36th minute.

Her goal was the result of a brilliantly simple counter-attack, with Elisa De Almeida winning the ball and sending it down the line for Delphine Cascarino to chase and she squared it perfectly for Katoto to score with a simple finish.

The second goal three minutes later was a virtuoso solo performance from Sandy Baltimore, who dribbled and jinked and almost lost the ball before firing it high over Hampton into the net from a tight angle.

An uncharacteristically rudderless England enjoyed plenty of possession but struggled to string together their passes, and the French pressed cleverly, pouncing on any poor touches to win the ball and force the English on to the back foot.

England did not register a shot on target until Keira Walsh reduced the deficit with a strike from distance in the 87th minute, prompting a late charge from the Lionesses that almost saw them snatch an unlikely point.

Alessia Russo, who had an early goal ruled out after a VAR check, and Grace Clinton both went close and 19-year-old substitute Michelle Agyemang had a goal-bound effort blocked by Selma Bacha, who threw herself at everything to protect the French goal in the closing minutes as her side hung on to win. 

Netherlands, who beat