Erithacus

Outrageous! The way the Lionesses took over in the second half was quite a statement. Having taken a slight lead into the half, Bronze's header early made the game a far different prospect. Then we saw how the Swedes started to look sluggish and lost heart - not a side known for that. In the first half, we looked slower and second best to the ball; in the second it was completely the reverse. Once that shift in the balance went our way there was no other outcome. Earp's fabulous save just after was a crucial stop. It reminded me of the one she made for City (Academy) against Barca in the Champions' League quarter-final at the Gate. That sort of natural talent is rare to find. Russo's scandalous finish shows what she is capable of, and I suspect she'll be the most expensive player in women's football in this country before long. Not only does she have the striker's instincts, but is also a real handful when defending from the front. I feel a little sorry for Lindahl, the keeper. She had a goal scored against her that will be replayed many, many times. Having an opponent do that from that postition will be the stuff of nightmares, and Lindahl is a top class player with lots of international caps. A keeper should be alert at all times, but when a striker does pull out something at close range then its up to them to block. As it was, the shot came in low and right between her feet - a real headache to respond to with just pure reactions. Then Kirby flighted a ball that she got both hands to but couldn't find enough strength to stop it bouncing into the net. Sad, as it will perhaps define her tournament and possibly signal the end of a glorious career. But there is an irresistible air about the Lionesses, an air not seen before. A 'March to the Arch', no less. Is the immense input and resources granted the women's game at the top level finally being vindicated? Could the girls go the one step further than the men, at Wembley, in a European final? Worse things happen at sea...

A testing start for England: the Swedes had a solid gameplan and were quicker to the ball at first. They took teh Spaniards' approach and shut down Stanway and Walsh. Without those two in the midfield working there was no real punch and we were on the back foot. However, the England girls are able to build momentum as the game goes on and took back control. As they do. Good to see Kirby popping up in awkward areas and influencing play. Hemp has had a little more success and is causing the opponents to keep their guard up. Mead's touch and finish were class and came at a time when the Swedish side had started to look a little lost for ideas. They had a few good chances early but did not capitalise. Having gone a goal down (arguably against the run of play) they now have to change the focus. Will that open up some more channels? Either way, the onus is on them and we'll see if England have the nous to pick holes.

The Dutch were taking a bit of a chance on Miedema being at full fitness after Covid and clearly she was not 100%. That took a big chunk out of their ability to spring good counter-attacks. With her in top condition this result might have gone the other way. They battled all the way but lacked a cutting edge. The French showed a few flashes of the form of the group stages but had an off night in front of goal. Has the tournament started to seem real now? The Germans will be sharpening up for the semi final; they will have played France enough times and will be fancying their chances, no doubt.

Grindingly absorbing game. The French seem to have lost their mojo a tad and the Dutch are working hard to contain them. Slowly the tide is changing but it may need a bit more than extra time to sort this out. Van Der Gragt has been indomitable and Spitze has put the steel into the midfield. Meanwhile the customary flair and swagger is not so clear from the French. If they could only put one of their many chances away this game would be over. Will one of the coaches take the risk of abandoning the usual 4-3-3? Either way, the Germans will be enjoying this slog.

Paddy Hopkirk, legendary rally driver, 89. He was one of the early heros in rallying when the sport was a massive draw and a truly international event, but in which the average man could still enter. His winning of the 1964 Monte Carlo was a real triumph, despite some of the more 'insistant' applications of the rules. A true superstar now leaving us.

And scorer of the freakiest goal in history - v England, World Cup '70. He was running away to the corner flag when the ball dropped onto the back of his head and looped over Bonnetti. I still have flashbacks. Sad for the Germans, though. Their '66 squad is still larger than ours.

At that rate she might be coach, striker, midfield and physio too. One wage bill but half a dozen posts filled.

The Belgians clearly came into the game with a Defend First attitude. Fine, but in the few counter-attacks that happen, it really puts a premium on scoring and tonight there was a definite lack of the clinical, from both teams. All in all a game where both teams cancelled each other out and England will not see much to fear. Lewes Women F.C. - the team that City did the triple over last season.

Who would have thought that a Spanish side would turn up as cannon fodder and politely roll over? Only a fool. They were more than prepared and had a really solid gameplan that showed England up in a poor light for much of the match. Having run away with the group games we suddenly had to face a genuine team with talent and determination. They knew that the midfield pair of Walsh and Stanway were key to going forwards and they were suffocated. We didn't have anything like as much possession time and consequently found attacking difficult. The supply was cut off radically. Result: the likes of White, Hemp and Mead were left spectating for too long; Kirby didn't fare much better. And that is how you stop England. I was impressed (but not surprised) by Spain's approach - they were quick, neat and lively. Just like the men's team. In the end it was as much about effort and stamina as talent. They had all the means to go through, but they can be proud of their work tonight. They will build on this. In particular I will pick out Bonmati as the pick of a thoroughly effective midfield - she was a constant presence and controlled a lot of what happened. With the England front line not having much of a sniff, some short-comings were highlighted. White is a great finisher with a (Lineker-esque) nose for goal but is not the target (wo)man that Russo can be. The latter is more the battering ram centre forward. Hemp was widely proclaimed as the wing wizzard but had hardly any input. Mead on the opposite flank seems a little out of position. Meanwhile, the defence had a busy night. Rachel Daly (a striker for Houston) plays as left back - quite a step for Weigman to explain. However, even though her poor challenge for the Spanish goal was bad, she was not as unweildy as Greenwood when she replaced her. Millie Bright was dominant when called for; Williamson was a quiet but assured partner. I fear there will be pages of newprint in Spain about the substitutions made by the coach. They did change the flow of the play. Weigman trumped him. But the pain is in Spain tonight; they deserved more but sometimes football goes like that. So, one decent whack and England go through to the Semis. Tonight has been a real wake-up that hopefully will bring a greater focus to the camp. They might play the winner of the Germanic derby, Austria v Germany (Brentford). If the lessons are learned this Lioness side could just win it all yet. As a sporting spectacle, it must be said that the standard of play and competitiveness is higher than ever before. The women's game at international level is impressing many previously indifferent fans. Can it be that the girls are putting the nation through the mill just like the men? Who would have thought?

Interesting appointment. Seems previous work with Lauren Smith was key in attracting her to the club. Obviously Asante has a long playing career at club and international level, as well as experience abroad. Just wondering what her coaching qualifications are. Could be this club is beginning to put a real effort into the Women's side.

Interesting approach by Spain: plenty of possession and control but not that able to put away the chances. Denmark were content to start as a defensive set-up and rely on a breakaway. Sadly, the few times they got into the Spanish defence they did not have the finishing qualities. Even as time ran out, that pattern didn't really change. I wonder how Spain will approach the quarter-final against us at Brighton. Will they reverse their instinctive mindset and get the bus started? Meanwhile Germany and Austria meet at Brentford - a probable ticket for the former?

The result was not really in doubt, nor the performance inasmuch that the group was won before kick-off. Clearly the squad has been built to produce a standard and it was a comfortable one in the end. Give the Northern Irish girls the credit they deserve, though: their first half gameplan was a solid and gave England some problems that were proving difficult to overcome. However, these Lionesses are able to keep up a pace and inevitably the greater stamina and skill tolled eventually. The difference between a fully professional side and part-timers was marked, resulting in an ever-widening gap towards the end of the game. I'm quite happy the score didn't exceed the Norway game. It would not have been necessary, nor would it have proved a point. A comfortable result without creating excessive expectations. Not sure if the ball flicked Hemp's hand on the way to Kirby for the first goal. If it did, I'm puzzled that VAR did not intervene. After all, it chalked off the earlier effort. The other goals were examples of the level of talent in the squad. We're a side others don't want to come up against. Quality shone all night from some of the England players. I thought Kirby kept popping up in little spaces behind the front line and caused all sorts of problems; she has a great touch and the vision to make the dangerous passes. If the strikers are having an off night, then there is a swathe of subs with as much talent. Given the paucity of defending needed, the midfielders had a chance to cut out attacks and push forwards in numbers. All in all, it's been a first rate effort in the groups. Now the real tournament is about to begin. It's No Tomorrow football from now on.

If Shania is anywhere as good a striker as his nibs above, we are in for a treat.

That's more like it. After the rather tense and tentative opening match, the Lionesses bared their teeth - and what a sharp set they are too. We were clearly the better team in so many departments and the performance has justified some early claims. What struck me was that whenever a player had the ball there was at least one teammate who was close by and demanding the ball. It did look like we had an extra player. The visitors were suffocated from the first whistle and didn't have a response. Norway's side are arguably not their best generation this tournament, but are no mugs. They have plenty of top WSL and European league players in the ranks but they were given a real education tonight. We can argue about the coach sitting on his hands and not having a Plan B, but I don't think there were many alternatives. We were simply too good. I like the way England can sweep forwards with accuracy, pace and menace. Ellen White is showing the sort of talent she is capable of and Lauren Hemp can terrify opponents. Backing up from midfield we have a number of players who have a genuine connection and vision to pick out the open player. It's an attacking side with lots of options, and we have made a statement. When Alessio Russo came on in the second half she looked a handful and was putting herself about nicely. First tournament goal too. Defensively we are yet to be really tested and I am curious as to how England will cope with better opponents, as they will surely come up. With qualification now in the bag, what will Weigman decide to do against Northern Ireland? Take it easy and save the starters for the next round, or keep a winning side and build more momentum?

Now that every team has played, form has some meaning. Although the overall standard is higher than ever this tournament, it is clear that some nations have moved the game on much more than others. I have been impressed by the Germans and the Spanish, but there is one team that is head and shoulders above the rest: France. They were frightening tonight in demolishing the Italians. Les Bleus blew them away. Every player looked comfortable on the ball, technically superior and talented. The side has a clear pattern, with ability to change the shape if needed and the mood looked united (in contrast to some of the reports coming out of the camp in the build-up). What really makes the contrast is the speed, the accuracy of passing, the rapid and positive movement off the ball and the confidence shown by the French. They have all the tools to do the job against anyone. I realise that it is still early and momentum is a vital aspect of a winning team, but I suspect the bookies will have shortened the odds now. Of course I hope England will emerge with growing strength but for now I cannot see past the French. It may be that the only team that can beat them is themselves.

Agreed, RFN. The times when German teams are not up to speed in a tournament are rare; dismiss them at your peril. Despite the loss of two fundamental starters, the Spanish are another team that look very slick. Both the Fins and the Danes were good opponents, solid and showing no undue deference, but were not at the same level. I think the Germany-Spain game on Tuesday will be a great one. If England finish top of the group, we'll play the runner-up of Group B (Gruppe des Todes/Grupo de la Muerte), which will probably be one of the two.

I think it's fair to say that Gwynne, the late Sid Waddell and Dave Lanning were as much a part of the rise of darts in the modern era as the players themselves - a time when commentators were as colourful as the game.

A sure sign that you understand football and respect it over mere gestures, boredom or trying to get your fizzog on the telly. I commend you.

But he was unbeatable.

All in all, a fairly steady start. The big build-up, the big crowd and there was not a huge amount to be concerned about. Given Austria are no mugs, they were solid and well organised but didn't have enought to worry us. Seeing as most of their players are part-timers, it was no surprise they ran out of steam in the second half. The triple-substitution was an odd one, I thought, but seems to be giving time for the strikers' benefit. Perhaps keeping the starters on would have brought better yields over a full 90 minutes. However, I feel this England team have much more to offer and this opening match will not be the definitive version. A few players were not tested too much, particularly the defence and it will be worth seeing them put under more scrutiny in the next games. Overall a work(wo)manlike performance and one to build on nicely as the tournament progresses. Definitely not peaked too early. Good work from Stanway in the middle, where the game is often won or lost. Hemp was always available but didn't pull up tree-stumps tonight. She will grow. Millie Bright stopped most of Autria's infrequent attacks, and the front line looked more than useful - if a little rusty. This England team has all the tools to do the job; the first game is a win, and one to build on. Interesting to note that 71,000 tickets were sold but only 68,000 actually showed up. Did the touts make a mistake or has the cost of petrol put some off?

Strange seeing that the Gate has held the Cup Final and an England game here before. Perhaps there are other conflicts of interests, like Sir Elton taking over for a while. I think it's reasonable to assume the club made more money from the concerts.

Had a suspicion that Coventry were in a bit of flux. Don't think they have any connection with Coventry City, so are on their own. Could there be a chance to pick up one or two prospects? And great news that Fran is going to be between the sticks again. Real feather in City's cap, that.

Was impressed with Coventry when they played recently. Is that club still viable? If not, or the situation is not stable, then there will be plenty of players on the move.

That's one tickbox for the progress of women's football.

Not a bad day for weather - no real rain, some sunshine but the strong winds were a problem for the flyers. Sadly the BBMF were unable to take off from their airfield and so we lost that top spot. The other displays were pretty good though and there were various things going on in the arena on the Beach Lawns. Plenty of military stuff and naturally there was a large and noisy funfair for those who wanted more.