England Beat Scotland 2-1 in 2019 Women's World Cup Opener

England got their 2019 Women's World Cup off on the right foot, bagging a 2-1 win over rivals Scotland in their Group D opener. 

Nikita Parris got the opener from the penalty spot after 14 minutes, and Ellen White doubled the lead before half-time. Scotland improved in the second half, and Claire Emslie pulled a goal back after 79 minutes to set up a nervy finale. There would be no comeback, however.

The Lionesses and Scotland will face Argentina and Japan in Group D.

England started with plenty of possession, while Scotland tried to counter with a press that left a lot of gaps in between their lines. It led to quite a few openings for the Lionesses early, but England lacked a little sharpness in the attacking third.

The VAR gifted them a golden opportunity after 14 minutes, however, as the new handball rule reared its ugly head yet again this tournament.

A cross from close range made contact with Nicola Docherty's arm, and while there was nothing the defender could do about it and England never appealed for a penalty, the ball still went on the spot. The decision was similar to penalties awarded to Brazil and Spain earlier this tournament.

Viewers were not happy:

Parris made no mistake, giving the Lionesses the lead.

The Scots didn't alter their plans after the early setback, and more chances arrived for England. White and Fran Kirby both had good looks on goal, with the latter only just missing the target.

Goalkeeper Lee Alexander made a strong intervention to deny White, and the forward continued to cause trouble, having a goal ruled out for offside.

England's dominance was evidenced by the possession stats:

She got her deserved goal five minutes before half-time, beating Alexander with a superb drive. Her contribution to this rivalry match was inevitable:

A shoulder injury for Millie Bright gave the Scots the advantage in numbers early in the second half, but they could create little danger from it.

Emslie put goalkeeper Karen Bardsley to work with a weak shot, and she also had to intervene on a dangerous cross into Erin Cuthbert, who proved a handful for the English defence.

Rachel Corsie had a shot blocked, as Scotland increased the pressure as the second half wore on. The Lionesses were comfortable just sitting back, but a poor giveaway from Steph Houghton gave Emslie the chance to pull one back after 79 minutes, setting up a tense finale.

BBC 5 Live's Pat Nevin thought they deserved that goal:

But England regained their focus and saw out the match with maturity, giving away few looks in the final minutes.

What's Next?

Both teams will be in action again Friday when Scotland take on Japan and England face Argentina.