ROTHERHAM, England: Grace Geyoro scored a first-half hat-trick as France made a dream start to the European Women’s Championship with a 5-1 win over Italy in Group D on Sunday at the Rotherham stadium in New York.
Italy were 5-0 down at the break on a warm South Yorkshire evening as France showed the style with the highest first-half scoring in a women’s European Championship ever.
Midfielder Geyoro gave Les Bleues a close-range lead in the ninth minute and Marie-Antoinette Katoto made it 2-0 three minutes later after goalkeeper Laura Giuliani put the ball straight to her.
The goal was Katoto’s 26th for the Paris St Germain striker in 31 caps and she could have scored another goal when she hit the post in the 16th as France confidently dominated possession en route to the top of the group.
France, who went through the qualifying group without conceding a goal but are yet to win a major women’s tournament, were 3-0 up in the 38th round when Delphine Cascarino scored a powerful goal.
Geyoro, playing her 50th game for France, earned her second in 40 by beating two defenders and the keeper before rolling the ball into an empty goal and hitting the corner flag, the goal being confirmed by VAR.
She then made Euro history with her hat-trick just before half-time as France overcooked in the second half and all the scorers came on.
“We can’t imagine losing like that, but we also have to give credit to France,” said Italy coach Milena Bertolini.
“I told my players to come on in the second half as if it were 0-0. They did just that and after that first half it wasn’t easy.”
Italy had risked being reduced to 10 players in Round 64 when captain Sara Gama was shown a red card for a high tackle on Geyoro, who was reduced to yellow after a lengthy VAR check.
Substitute Martina Piemonte headed in a consolation goal in the 76th minute and Italy could have scored a late second when Selma Bacha cleared the line in added time and goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin was beaten.
The win was France’s biggest at a women’s EURO finals.