In a city in northern France built on the twin industries of steel and lace both Italy and Australia offered performances that were equal parts tough and elegant. But it was the team dubbed by Ante Milicic as “one of the most improved teams in women’s football” that announced themselves to the world in Valenciennes.

In what may emerge as the clash of Group C favourites, it was an engrossing duel of cut and thrust, of rapier attack, and desperate defence. And while VAR, loping in like an unwanted wedding guest, threatened to have the most decisive of all involvements, it was Italy’s livewire forward Barbara Bonansea who refused to see her nation denied.

Twice Italy took the lead, twice video referees denied it. In the 95th minute, the Juventus flyer refused to accept fate – rising highest to nod home a heart-breaking winner for travelling Matildas fans.

Having promised a team that would play with what he considered distinctively Australian qualities – courage, hard work and self-belief – Milicic’s side signalled their attacking intent from the first second, with a Bullrush-style kick-off in which the front six flooded forward.

On a meticulous pitch both sides zipped early balls that evaded teammates, but it was the Australians who began to enjoy possessive dominance, with Ellie Carpenter and Hayley Raso combining well to give Italy’s left-back Alia Guagni a torrid time.

With Italy affording space out wide, vice-captain Steph Catley twice combined with her skipper, Sam Kerr, with the Matildas sharp-shooter looping an early free header just over.

Bonansea was prominent early for the Italians, and she thought she’d given her side the lead in the ninth minute, keeping her feet well under a challenge from Steph Catley to roll home. But after an interminable three-minute wait, VAR adjudged her offside.

Less marginal was the decision at the other end, in which captain Sara Gama was viewed to have manhandled Kerr inside the penalty box. Looking right, the Australian went right – but so did Laura Giuliani. The keeper saved the initial strike, but the ball dropped about four metres out, and a relieved Kerr tucked home at the second attempt for her first World Cup goal.

It was 10 years, four months and two days that Kerr made her Australian debut, against Italy, and in Valenciennes, at the ninth time of asking in a World Cup game, the star striker finally got the monkey off her back.

Filling the shoes of the match-minutes shy Elise Kellond-Knight, Emily van Egmond offered a more polished performance shielding the Australian defence, and was the unlikely source of two of Australia’s better chances, firing a recycled ball into the box that Hayley Raso deflected agonisingly wide of Giuliani’s right-hand post, before she had the Juventus keeper backpedalling to tip a looping effort onto her crossbar.

Italy’s schemer-in-chief Cristiana Girelli then found herself unmarked in the box but the Australian shot-stopper Lydia Williams stood tall to rebuff the effort. Increasingly frustrated, the Italians switched to their more customary 4-4-2 at half-time to stem the Matildas’ influence in wide areas.

The karmic forces of the cosmos adjudged that Bonansea deserved recompense, and a calamitous touch from the otherwise rock-solid Polkinghorne played her in. She took the chance with aplomb – even slipping in the process of driving home her curling shot could not deny Italy’s standout player.

As Italy increasingly became the more potent XI, both sides appeared guilty of spurning winning chances. Late substitute Daniela Sabatino thought she had found the winner, but after her first effort rebounded off the post, a second VAR call adjudged the striker’s follow up effort offside.

But it was Bonansea who refused to be cowed. First blood to Italy in a Group C that now lies fascinatingly wide open.