MILTON KEYNES, England -- The dual loss of Alexia Putellas and Jenni Hermoso to injuries on the eve of this tournament made it even harder to predict what sort of Spain we might see at these European Championship finals, but Friday's 4-1 win over Finland suggests they could still prove the complete package.
Putellas, arguably the best player in the world -- ESPN's panel of experts voted her No. 1 last month -- was in the stands at Stadium MK, breathing every moment from her seat in the third row adjacent to the dugout. She watched her teammates spend most of the game creating openings with the ball on the floor only to come from behind with three superb headed goals and a penalty. It was Spain's first comeback in women's Euros history.
It is perhaps a demonstration of the versatility Spain will need later in Group B when facing eight-time winners Germany and 2017 finalists Denmark in what has widely been described as the Euro 2022 "Group of Death," a searching examination of Spain's status as one of the tournament favourites.
Much of the talk around the team in the build-up questioned whether they could replicate Barcelona's stunning dominance at club level -- winning all 30 league matches last season (scoring a staggering 159 goals), reaching three of the last four Women's Champions League finals -- with so many players from Camp Nou in the squad.
Manager Jorge Vilda's side scored 48 goals in qualifying -- no other team racked up a higher number -- but Putellas' anterior cruciate ligament injury following Hermoso's knee problem robbed Spain of their most fearsome attackers, heightening concerns over the potency of a team that has habitually underdelivered in international finals.
Even without the key duo, there were still seven Barcelona players in Spain's starting line-up, yet those same fears were heightened inside 49 seconds as Finland took a shock lead with a goal that tied as the fastest in women's Euros history.
Anna Westerlund's through-ball found Linda Sallstrom, who charged into the box before producing a low finish which found the net via Spain goalkeeper Sandra Panos' right-hand post.
Spain momentarily looked flustered but stuck to the game plan, dominating the ball as Aitana Bonmati's clever movement and distribution in midfield began to make her team tick with Mariona Caldentey causing problems for Finland further forward.
- Every Euros game LIVE on ESPN: Navigate the schedule
- Don't have ESPN? Get instant access
The equaliser was made and finished in Catalonia but not adorned with the intricate, flowing football synonymous with their success: Caldentey swung in a 26th-minute corner, which Irene Paredes met with a thumping header.
It was, however, appropriately emphatic for the determination Spain showed after falling behind and for their first meaningful imprint on the tournament -- in fact, it ended a run of 364 minutes without a goal in the women's Euros.
"If you see how we started the game, we were in shock conceding a goal that early," Paredes said. "But luckily we have confidence in our team, in the work we do every day, so we just tried and tried and finally I think we deserved to win the game.
"But starting the Euros in such a bad way is not easy mentally. We showed the mental strength this team has. We can't start like that again."
The wait for a second goal was much shorter. Mapi Leon took advantage of space on the left to swing in superb cross which Bonmati glanced expertly into the far corner, again a Barcelona production but not one typically expected.
Bonmati ran to the touchline to celebrate and blow a kiss in the direction of Putellas, who had risen in recognition before turning to hop away, helped by two nearby staff members to the vicinity of her crutches, briefly dispensed with in the emotion of it all.
- Fixtures: All Euro 2022 live scores
- News & features: ESPN's home for everything Euro 2022
Laia Aleixandri's introduction on the hour mark increased Spain's intelligence in possession but when Lucia Garcia nodded in a third from a Leon free-kick with 15 minutes left, Spain became the first team to score three headed goals in a women's Euros match since Sweden in July 2013.
Finland palpably tired as the second half wore on and when Marta Cardona was fouled in the box, Caldentey slotted home the resulting spot-kick to give Spain a win their performance deserved -- and the first time they have netted four in a single Euros finals game.
"We knew that Finland were a team who could hurt us in transitions," Vilda said. "I never lost my conviction that we could come back into the game, with our players and potential."
"They are so fluent and physically strong," Finland head coach Anna Signeul said. "Spain we played five years ago in Scotland, I think they have improved a lot and they have so many quality players. Of course they miss Putellas and Hermoso, but they did very well, the other players who came on."
The 16,819 in attendance -- a record crowd for a women's Euros game not involving the host nation -- did not watch a Spain performance free of fallibility, however. They were profligate in front of goal and, at times, alarmingly susceptible to a simple long ball over their defence on the occasions Finland could beat the press.
But perfection can come later. Spain are many people's idea of the tournament winners despite there being a degree of uncertainty just how they would look. That picture became a little clearer here -- and there was plenty to like.