Bern, July 4 || Spain and Italy made winning starts to their UEFA Women’s European Championship campaigns on Thursday.
On a day marked by tributes to the late Portugal and Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother, both killed in a car accident the night before, football took center stage with impressive performances and emotional solidarity.
World champions Spain showed they mean business in Euro 2025, dismantling Portugal 5-0 in their Group B opener at Wankdorf Stadium. The match began with a minute’s silence for Jota, which was observed with touching respect by the near-30,000 crowd in Bern.
Esther Gonzalez, at 32 the oldest Spanish player to feature at the Euros, made an immediate impact by scoring inside 87 seconds with a smart flick past Portugal goalkeeper Ines Pereira. Soon after, the youngest member of the squad, 18-year-old Vicky Lopez, doubled Spain’s advantage, tapping in after Pereira’s clearance fell to Mariona Caldentey.
Spain’s captain Alexia Putellas, returning to the Euros after missing the 2022 edition with injury, was in imperious form. After going close earlier, she netted Spain’s third with superb control and a clinical finish before Gonzalez added her second just before the break, tucking in the rebound from Clàudia Pina’s cross that came off the post.