Euro 2022 favourites Spain recovered from conceding a goal inside the opening minute to overpower Finland in their tournament opener in Milton Keynes.
Finland, ranked 28th in the world, stunned Spain by scoring after only 50 seconds when Linda Sallstrom collected Anna Westerlund's long pass forward and fired a shot which went in off the inside of the post.
It could have been 2-0 11 minutes later but Adelina Engman dragged a shot wide before Spain took control.
They dominated possession and, moments after having a goal disallowed, equalised as captain Irene Paredes headed in following a corner taken by the excellent Mariona Caldentey.
Another headed goal saw Spain take the lead with Aitana Bonmati getting on the end of Maria Pilar Leon's delivery.
Lucia Garcia settled Spain's nerves in the 75th minute with a third headed goal, before Caldentey converted an injury-time penalty to ensure her country made a winning start.
Spain survive scare with injured Putellas watching on
Spain are betting favourites to win the competition for the first time after a run of form that saw them go into the tournament unbeaten in 23 matches, having scored more than 100 goals and only conceded three in that time.
However, their preparations had been severely hampered by two key injuries.
Record goalscorer Jennifer Hermoso was ruled out of the squad after suffering a knee injury in June before Alexia Putellas, the reigning Ballon d'Or holder, suffered a serious anterior cruciate ligament knee injury in training on Tuesday.
Putellas, last season's top scorer in the Champions League, was at Stadium MK on crutches and posed with her team-mates before the match started, with them holding up her shirt.
After Bonmati, one of seven Barcelona players who started the match, had put Spain ahead, she ran over to celebrate with Barca team-mate Putellas.
Spain's players held up the shirt of injured Alexia Putellas - with the reigning Ballon d'Or holder on crutches at Stadium MK after she suffered a serious knee injury on TuesdaySpain, who go top of Group B with Denmark and Germany playing at Brentford's Community Stadium later on Friday, saw Manchester United's Ona Batlle denied by Korpela, who then also saved from substitute Laia Aleixandri.
But those misses did not prove costly as Garcia headed in a third to kill the game off, with Caldentey adding a penalty with the last kick of the match.
Finland start well, but overpowered
Finland's goal, the second fastest in the tournament's history, came after bookmakers had them at odds of nearly 50-1 to win the match, 200-1 to win the group and 500-1 to win the competition.
However, after Engman's miss that could have made it 2-0, they saw little of the ball and had to defend deep and in numbers.
Tottenham goalkeeper Tinja-Riikka Korpela saved from Caldentey and thought she had conceded when Patri Guerrero headed in but the goal was ruled out as the ball had gone out before Esther Gonzalez crossed it.
However, it was just a brief respite as two goals in 15 minutes saw Spain take control in front of a crowd of 16,819 - the 11th highest attendance in the tournament's history.
Korpela's Spurs team-mate Eveliina Summanen had a rare Finland chance in the second half but could only shoot at goalkeeper Sandra Panos, before the game was put out of their reach.
Finland reached the semi-finals when the tournament was last staged in England in 2005 but will need to gain positive results in their next two matches to stay in the competition.
Player of the match
PinaClàudia Pina
Spain
Squad number22Player namePina
Squad number6Player nameBonmatí
Squad number11Player nameCardona
Squad number16Player nameMapi León
Squad number4Player nameParedes
Squad number10Player namedel Castillo
Squad number21Player nameGarcía
Squad number17Player nameGarcía
Squad number3Player nameAleixandri
Squad number2Player nameBatlle
Squad number8Player nameMariona Caldentey
Squad number15Player nameOuahabi
Squad number13Player namePaños
Squad number7Player nameGuerrero
Squad number9Player nameGonzález
Squad number12Player namePatri Guijarro
Finland
Squad number23Player nameKorpela
Squad number18Player nameSällström
Squad number4Player nameÖling
Squad number19Player nameSainio
Squad number17Player nameFranssi
Squad number5Player nameKoivisto
Squad number10Player nameAlanen
Squad number20Player nameSummanen
Squad number3Player nameHyyrynen
Squad number16Player nameWesterlund
Squad number7Player nameEngman
Squad number2Player namePikkujämsä
Squad number15Player nameKuikka
Squad number13Player nameDanielsson
Squad number21Player nameRantanen
Squad number8Player nameAhtinen
Line-ups
Spain
Formation 4-3-3
13Paños
2Batlle4Paredes16León Cebrián15Ouahabi
6Bonmatí12Guijarro Gutiérrez7Guerrero
17García9González8Caldentey Oliver
13Paños2Batlle4ParedesBooked at 54mins16León Cebrián15OuahabiSubstituted forGarcíaat 61'minutes6BonmatíSubstituted fordel Castilloat 78'minutes12Guijarro Gutiérrez7GuerreroSubstituted forAleixandriat 60'minutes17GarcíaSubstituted forPinaat 86'minutes9GonzálezSubstituted forCardonaat 79'minutes8Caldentey OliverSubstitutes
1Gallardo Núñez3Aleixandri5Andrés10del Castillo11Cardona14Sarriegi18Abelleira19Carmona20Pereira21García22Pina23Rodríguez RiveroFinland
Formation 4-4-2
23Korpela
3Hyyrynen16Westerlund2Pikkujämsä5Koivisto
7Engman20Summanen10Alanen4Öling
18Sällström17Franssi
23Korpela3HyyrynenSubstituted forKuikkaat 67'minutes16Westerlund2Pikkujämsä5Koivisto7EngmanSubstituted forSainioat 45'minutes20SummanenSubstituted forAhtinenat 84'minutes10AlanenBooked at 80mins4ÖlingSubstituted forRantanenat 87'minutes18Sällström17FranssiSubstituted forDanielssonat 84'minutesSubstitutes
1Talaslahti6Auvinen8Ahtinen9Kemppi11Heroum12Tamminen13Danielsson14Kollanen15Kuikka19Sainio21Rantanen22RantalaReferee:Kateryna MonzulAttendance:16,819Live Text
Match ends, Spain 4, Finland Women 1.
Second Half ends, Spain 4, Finland Women 1.
Goal! Spain 4, Finland Women 1. Mariona Caldentey (Spain) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
Penalty Spain. Marta Cardona draws a foul in the penalty area.
Penalty conceded by Elli Pikkujämsä (Finland Women) after a foul in the penalty area.
Sheila García (Spain) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Olga Ahtinen (Finland Women).
Attempt saved. Clàudia Pina (Spain) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Ona Batlle with a headed pass.
Attempt saved. Marta Cardona (Spain) header from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ona Batlle with a cross.
Foul by Athenea del Castillo (Spain).
Essi Sainio (Finland Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Sheila García (Spain).
Essi Sainio (Finland Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Athenea del Castillo (Spain) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Substitution, Finland Women. Amanda Rantanen replaces Ria Öling.
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Tinja-Riikka Korpela.
Attempt saved. Athenea del Castillo (Spain) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Clàudia Pina.
Substitution, Spain. Clàudia Pina replaces Lucía García.
Substitution, Finland Women. Jenny-Julia Danielsson replaces Sanni Franssi.
Substitution, Finland Women. Olga Ahtinen replaces Eveliina Summanen.
