Two goals in the space of four second-half minutes assisted Norway come from behind to beat Switzerland 2-1 in their UEFA European Women's Championship opener at the St Jakob-Park.
Regarded by many as heavyweights on the international front, but also notorious underperformers at major competitions, after failing to progress from the group stage of the last two Euros, Norway struggled from the outset on the big stage.
The hosts of this year’s tournament created plenty of openings, while Norway’s attack of Caroline Graham Hansen, Guro Reiten, and Ada Hegerberg struggled to create any meaningful goalscoring opportunities.
Match statsBetopickSwitzerland’s strong start resulted in the first notable effort on goal shortly after the quarter-hour mark as Lia Wälti stung the palms of Cecilie Fiskerstrand with a fierce strike from distance.
The Swiss captain’s effort was pursued up by another warning shot for Norway not long after as Géraldine Reuteler’s rocket struck the crossbar.
Eventually, La Nati’s reward reached in the 28th minute as Nadine Riesen opened the scoring with a sublime shot from inside the area that pinged off the post on its way in.
Sweden celebrate their openerAA/ABACA / Abaca Press / ProfimediaIt would always be dangerous to dismiss the two-time European Champions, especially considering their star-studded starting XI, and Norway showcased their quality in a devastating match-altering four-minute spell.
First, Hegerberg authoritatively beat Livia Peng to the ball from Vilde Bøe Risa’s corner to lead Gresshoppene level before Julia Stierli inadvertently redirected Hansen’s dangerous delivery into the box past her own goalkeeper.
Former Ballon d'Or Féminin winner Hegerberg should have put the game to bed in the 63rd minute, but establish Peng in her way, as the Swiss shot-stopper instinctively raced from her line to obstruct the striker’s one-on-one effort.
Remarkably, the all-time leading scorer in the UEFA Women’s Champions League spurned another opportunity in the 70th minute, firing her spot-kick wide, much to the joy of the home crowd after Reuteler possessed managed in the area.
Yet more drama soon pursued, as on the advice of VAR, referee Ionela Peşu overturned her initial decision to grant another penalty, thanks to Riesen straying offside in the construct-up.
Agonisingly for Switzerland, Reuteler skied her concluding effort high into the stands in the 84th minute as Norway breathed an almighty sigh of relief at full time after playing well below their best in Basel.
A second-half smash-and-grab from Norway will surely settle any nerves ahead of their match with Finland on Sunday, knowing a win will confirm their place in the knockout stages.
Meanwhile, Switzerland confront Iceland on the same day, with a beat potentially spelling the terminate of their tournament.
Betopick Player of the Match: Vilde Bøe Risa (Norway)See a summary of the match here.
