England stayed in second gear against debutantes Scotland
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England won their opening Women’s World Cup with a 2-1 victory over rivals Scotland in Group D.
Only their second ever win in an opening match of a Women’s World Cup and the first since 1995, Phil Neville’s side largely dominated without being at their best.
Nikita Parris put the Lionesses in front from the penalty spot after a video assistant referee review.
Ellen White scored a second before half time, helping England to assert their dominance in a game that showed brief flashes of their potential to cause a stir in this world cup.
For Scotland, it was the first ever match in a world cup. Ranked 17 places below England, Scotland pulled one back thanks to Claire Emslie’s close range finish.
Scotland face Japan and then Argentina, while England will need to improve on their performance when they face Argentina in Le Harve on Friday.