England seized control of the World Cup play‑off after a 3‑1 win over Greece in Crete. Can they keep the momentum in Leicester?
Georgia Stanway, Maya Le Tissier and Alessia Russo each found the net, putting the Lionesses in a solid spot for Tuesday’s return in Leicester. Calliste Brookshire, the Rangers forward, pulled one back for the world‑ranked‑58 Greece. The victor will face Slovakia or Ukraine in the next round on the road to Brazil 2027.
Lauren James saw a long‑range chip ruled out for offside in the first half, while the Lionesses, still shaking off a shaky qualifying finish behind Spain, were nearly startled when Ioanna Papatheodorou struck the crossbar from 35 yards.
England reclaimed the lead when Stanway capped a slick sequence, linking with Laura Blindkilde Brown and Russo.
After the break Le Tissier hammered home from a tight angle, and four minutes later Russo slotted the bottom corner from Beth Mead’s square pass, sealing England’s dominance.
Brookshire’s neat footwork netted Greece’s consolation, yet Jess Park rattled the underside of the crossbar in stoppage time, hinting that Wiegman’s side still hold extra firepower for the second leg.
Key moments in Crete
12: ROOF OF THE NET! Keira Walsh’s lofted effort from 18 yards sails onto the roof of the net.
20: GOAL RULED OUT! James chips from 30 yards, but an offside check wipes it away.
34: GREECE HIT THE BAR! Papatheodorou twists past Esme Morgan and clatters a 35‑yard shot onto Hannah Hampton’s crossbar.
39: GOAL! Blindkilde Brown feeds Russo, who squares it to Stanway for England’s breakthrough.
63: GOAL! Le Tissier fires England’s second from a sharp angle after two earlier attempts are saved.
67: GOAL! Russo caps the third, bottom‑corner finish from Mead’s square pass.
78: GOAL! Brookshire nets Greece’s reply, slipping past defenders before blasting into the far bottom corner.
Wiegman: We still have things to work on
England boss Sarina Wiegman speaking to ITV:
“At moments we played really well. We started well; they started very aggressively too, but we stayed calm. That’s what I’m most pleased with. We have a couple of things to work on too.
“At moments in the game, we weren’t tight enough. The ball wasn’t moving quickly enough, especially when we got the ball a lot in the pockets and higher up the pitch. We need to be tighter and more aligned because, with the opportunities we created, we could have scored so many more goals.
“Sometimes we were offside, so I think those are things we have to work on. And, of course, I’m not happy with the goal we conceded.
“There were more positives, Maya’s goal was one of them. She’s really improving her game at club level and, with us, she’s more comfortable.
Analysis: A win – but a frustrating night for England and Wiegman
“A win for England but a frustrating night for Wiegman and the England squad. They expected to win by more than two goals. For my money, they must tighten up before the second leg.
“They had 74 per cent possession, 26 shots, but England looked slow, predictable, like they played into the Greeks’ hands.
“The Greeks are delighted to walk away with this result, knowing the game is still up for grabs in Leicester.
“Wiegman will have some tough words for her team privately. Publicly she’s backing them on a professional job well done.