Austria secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Scotland in their Women’s Nations League opener, marking a disappointing start for Scotland’s interim manager, Michael McArdle. Lilli Purtscheller scored the decisive goal in the 14th minute, capitalizing on poor defending to fire the ball past goalkeeper Lee Gibson from 12 yards out.
Scotland had opportunities to take the lead earlier in the match, with Kirsty Hanson forcing a save from Austria’s goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger in the eighth minute. Zinsberger also denied a long-range strike from Martha Thomas. Despite a strong effort from Scotland, they struggled to create clear chances, and Zinsberger produced another fine save to keep out a close-range effort from Hanson just before the half-hour mark. After that, Scotland found it difficult to break through Austria’s defense, and the home side held on for the win.
Elsewhere in Group A1, Germany and the Netherlands played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in Breda. The result leaves the group finely balanced after the first round of fixtures.
Wales also suffered a 1-0 defeat in their opening Group A4 match, as Italy claimed victory in Monza. The match was a special occasion for Hayley Ladd, who earned her 100th cap for Wales, becoming just the 10th player, male or female, to reach that milestone for the national team. However, it was Italy who took the points, with Barbara Bonansea scoring the only goal of the game in the fifth minute.
Wales came close to an equalizer, with Angharad James hitting the woodwork, but they were unable to find the breakthrough. In the same group, Sweden defeated Denmark 2-1, giving them an early advantage in the standings.
In Group B1, Northern Ireland endured a disappointing start to their campaign, falling to a 2-0 defeat in Poland. Meanwhile, in Group B2, the Republic of Ireland enjoyed a winning start, with Kyra Carusa’s goal securing a 1-0 victory over Turkey.
One of the most dramatic games of the round took place in Group A3, where Spain pulled off a remarkable comeback to defeat Belgium 3-2 in Valencia. The World Cup winners and defending Nations League champions found themselves 2-0 down after goals from Mariam Toloba and Tessa Wullaert. However, they mounted an incredible late rally. Clàudia Pina sparked the comeback with a curling strike in the 77th minute. In stoppage time, Lucía García equalized in the 92nd minute before Cristina Martín-Prieto scored the winner in the 96th, completing an astonishing turnaround.
In Group A2, France also secured a late victory, with Marie-Antoinette Katoto scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over Norway. The other match in the group saw Euro 2025 hosts Switzerland held to a 0-0 draw by Iceland.
With the first round of matches complete, teams will now shift their focus to the next set of fixtures as they look to build momentum in the competition.
