Grace Geyoro scored three times in the first half to guide France to a 5-1 thrashing of Italy on Sunday to complete the first round of matches at the Women’s European Championship with the biggest result yet. In her 50th appearance for France, Geyoro scored the first after nine minutes, Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Delphine Cascarino also scoring before Geyoro added two more in the 40th and 45th minutes.
“I was coming back from injury and I wanted to start strong,” said Geyoro, “And that was important to me.” Italy managed to keep a clean sheet in the second half, scoring a consolation goal through Martina Piemonte. The victory gave France the lead in Group D after a 1-1 draw between Belgium and Iceland, in the first game of the day in Manchester. There were 3,859 fans at Manchester City’s academy stadium for the first match. Iceland had requested that the game take place at the Etihad Stadium, across the street.
France, whose women’s team has not advanced to the European Championship quarterfinals or won a top-tier title, is the first team to score five goals in the first half of a group match. The second round of group stage matches begins on Monday with hosts England taking on Norway, after both teams started victoriously. Austria faces Northern Ireland in the other Group A game.