England's "Lionesses" held off a strong-finishing Scotland to prevail 2-1 in this FIFA Women's World Cup duel between football's oldest rivals, played in front of 13,188 fans at the Stade de Nice on June 9. Clashes between England and Scotland, at least in the men's game, date back to 1872, and with this being the first Women's World Cup Finals for those north of the border, there was a certain inevitability that they would find themselves in the same group as the "Auld Enemy" when the draw for the Finals was made last December. Sure enough … and ever since, this fixture has been one of the most anticipated and eagerly awaited at France 2019. It certainly didn't disappoint, with both teams flying out of the blocks and going at it hammer and tongs early on in proceedings. Just five minutes into the contest, Lucy Bronze, Nikita Parris and Jill Scott combined on the right for the first-mentioned to deliver a teasing cross to the far post. Sophie Howard headed the danger to safety, but was given the runaround by Beth Mead soon afterwards, only for the winger to pull the ball back behind the English strikers. The Scots, meanwhile, had mounted a couple of left-flank raids of their own during this time, with Erin Cuthbert and Kim Little taking turns to lead the charge. In both instances, England captain Steph Houghton stepped in to intervene, but the next intervention changed the game. It came from the Video Assistant Referee, and followed an incident in which a Fran Kirby cross clipped the outstretched arm of Scotland fullback Nicola Docherty just inside the penalty area in the twelfth minute. Play was held up while the situation was considered, and Czech Republic referee Jana Adamkova duly confirmed that England were the beneficiaries of a penalty, which was converted in unerring fashion by Parris in the fourteenth minute. The goal rocked Scotland, who found themselves under siege soon afterwards as their arch-rivals piled on the pressure in search of a second goal. Kirby drilled a twenty yarder inches past the post following Ellen White's nineteenth minute lay-off, while two minutes later the referee was perfectly placed to wave away English claims for another penalty, after Mead went down under Howard's challenge in the area. Parris and Bronze combined on the right in the 22nd minute to present White with a super chance, but she was somehow denied by Lee Alexander's stunning reflex save with her legs - the save of the tournament so far, no question! Fortune smiled on the Scots in the 23rd minute as White's goal celebrations were cut short by the offside flag, after which the blue-shirted side went close to equalising when captain Rachel Corsie just failed to meet Caroline Weir's measured free-kick with a diving header. Karen Bardsley was called upon soon afterwards to deny Claire Emslie at her near post, the only save she had to make in the first half, unlike her opposite number. For Alexander pulled off another save with her outstretched leg to deny Mead in the 32nd minute, then smothered another effort from White soon afterwards, this chance arising from a mistake by the Scottish rearguard. Their next blemish, five minutes before half-time, was mercilessly punished by England. Corsie's clearance fell to the feet of White, who jinked inside before curling the ball home beyond the diving figure of Alexander - 2-0.

Both goals survived scares before the interval, Cuthbert going desperately close with a snapshot which flashed narrowly past the far post, while Alexander was to the fore once more as she pawed away a Mead free-kick, with Houghton flying in beyond her in a vain attempt to head home another goal. England were denied what would have been a superb third goal within thirty seconds of play resuming by the offside flag, White the guilty party at the sharp end of a slick move finished off in style by Mead. That goal aroused Scotland's ambition, but not before the "Lionesses" had seen a Kirby-inspired move culminated in Mead drawing the defence before playing in the overlapping Alex Greenwood, whose wicked whipped cross arced just beyond Scott, racing in on the far post in the 56th minute. Scotland counter-attacked through Emslie, who enjoyed a battle royal on the right with Greenwood which was, without question, one of the best individual match-ups seen so far in the tournament - two well-matched players going at it hammer and tongs throughout proceedings, both winger and fullback able to pit their wits against each other in a cleanly fought battle high on attacking skill and defensive efficiency. On this occasion, Emslie held the upper hand, drawing a smothering save from Bardsley, who was called upon again half-way through the second spell to paw Weir's in-swinging corner to safety from somewhere near the angle of far post and crossbar. Back came England, Scott heading down Greenwood's seventieth minute corner for White to unleash a volley from six yards which, on another day, would surely have gone in. Alexander wasn't having a bar of it, however, producing another stunning reflex save to frustrate the striker and keep her team in with a fighting chance of getting back into the contest. Scotland continued to press for that opening, but found Bardsley to be equal to just about everything they could muster, including Lisa Evans' deflected strike after substitute Kirsty Smith made in-roads down the left. Eleven minutes from time, however, Bardsley was finally beaten. Evans pounced on a stray clearance by Houghton and promptly swept past two opponents before slipping the ball in behind the defence for Emslie to dash onto and drive high into the net from eight yards - 2-1, and a goal the winger's performance richly merited. Sadly for Scotland, England didn't give them a sniff of a second opportunity over the course of the rest of the match. Indeed, it was the "Lionesses" who could have been celebrating a third goal had substitute Georgia Stanway's twenty-five yard snapshot been on target as the game entered stoppage time. 2-1 was their lot, however, the ideal start for England in a very attractive group which also contains the challenges of Argentina and, in particular, Japan, from whom much is expected at this Women's World Cup following their appearances in the final of both the 2011 and 2015 versions. England:     Bardsley; Bronze, Houghton, Bright (McManus, 55), Greenwood; Scott, Kirby (Stanway, 82), Walsh; Parris, White, Mead (Carney, 71) Scotland:     Alexander; Howard (Arthur, 74), Corsie, Beattie (booked, 43), Docherty (booked, 47) (Smith, 55); Emslie, Murray (Arnot, 83), Little, Weir, Evans; Cuthbert Referee:     Jana Adamkova (Czech Republic)