Goal fiesta at the European Championships in Bern: Spain's women's footballers take Portugal apart

Goal fiesta at the European Championship in Bern: Spain's women's footballers tear Portugal apart 03.07.2025, 23:51

Against Portugal, everything was already settled before the break: Spain's women's football team underscored their title ambitions at the European Championship. The other group match was decided by a striker from FC Bayern.

Spain's world champions impressively underscored their title ambitions at the European Football Championship with a goal-scoring gala at the start. In Group B, head coach Montserrat Tomé's team, which at times played furiously, defeated a completely overwhelmed Portuguese team 5-0 (4-0) at Bern's Wankdorf Stadium.

Esther González (2nd and 43rd minutes), Vicky López (7th), two-time World Player of the Year Alexia Putellas (41st), and Cristina Martín-Prieto (90th+3) scored the goals in a largely one-sided match in front of 29,520 spectators. World Player of the Year Aitana Bonmati, who was diagnosed with meningitis shortly before the European Championship, was allowed to play in the 81st minute and was substituted to applause.

In memory of Diogo Jota and André Silva

Before kickoff, fans and players remembered Portugal's international Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, who died in a traffic accident. Portugal's fans applauded the two footballers, held up placards, and created an emotional moment with chants.

Only Spain found their way into European Championship mode afterward. The world champions, with their technically advanced play, dismantled their neighbors at times. Captain Putellas and Mariona Caldentey, in particular, distributed the ball cleverly, often creating gaps in the Portuguese defense with their passes, thus ensuring extreme dominance. Fittingly, the Mexican wave swept through the stadium. In the end, coach Francisco Neto's Portuguese team was well served by the result.

Bayern's Caruso scores decisively for Italy

In the first Group B match in Sion, Bayern Munich's Arianna Caruso scored in the 44th minute to give Italy a 1-0 (1-0) win over Belgium. Belgium faces a near-impossible challenge on Monday against world champions Spain, while Italy then faces Portugal.