Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Group D - France v England - Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland - July 5, 2025 France's Marie-Antoinette Katoto in action with England's Alex Greenwood REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
ZURICH (Reuters) -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 Englandenjoyed 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 debutantes Wales 3-0 earlier on Saturday, top the group after the first round of games ahead of their clash with England on Wednesday in Zurich, while France can book their spot in the knockout stage with a win over Wales in St. Gallen the same evening.
Wiegman said that the Lionesses had played into France's hands by trying to play the ball short too often, leading to her side becoming the first reigning Women's Euro champions to lose their opener at the next tournament.
"We needed to get out of the firstpress and skip (a player), and that harmed us a bit and they scored goals. At the end we played with four attackers, we really tried to get the goal over the line, but we didn’t," she told broadcaster ITV.
"When we were out of their press, we were too sloppy. We know that they are really strong on the counter, they are strong players and fast players... we know France are really good, but we caused a little bit our own problems."
England captain Leah Williamson blamed individual errors while defending one-on-one for the defeat, but was already looking past it.
"Everyone take responsibility for themselves and have a look. Tomorrow we have a new game plan, different places available and different opposition," she said.
France's Cascarino picked up the player of the game award and said her side's success came as no surprise to her.
"I was expecting a good game from us. We worked a lot to prepare for this English team, and it’s always possible to start on a good note," she told reporters.
"We got a fright in the beginning but we remained calm and we managed to get to our objective. We stuck to the game plan, and I believe we really controlled the game."
(Reporting by Philip O'Connor; editing by Clare Fallon)
