England take 3-1 lead into Greece return leg with World Cup questions unresolved
The Lionesses are well placed in their qualifying play-off, but Sarina Wiegman has identified counterattacks and final-third execution as problems to address.
England carried a 3-1 first-leg lead over Greece into Tuesday’s Women’s World Cup qualifying play-off return in Leicester, after winning in Crete on 9 October. The advantage puts Sarina Wiegman’s side in a strong position to reach the next qualifying round, while their performance has left questions about defending, finishing and the makeup of the team aiming for the 2027 finals in Brazil.
Georgia Stanway put England ahead in the 39th minute. Maya Le Tissier scored in the 63rd and Alessia Russo added a third four minutes later, before Kallisti Brouksair replied for Greece in the 77th. The result, rather than qualification, was the confirmed outcome when the Guardian assessed England’s prospects on 12 October: the return leg had yet to be played.
Why the Greece win raised defensive questions
The score concealed a striking imbalance in chances around the goal. According to the Guardian, England had 58 touches in Greece’s penalty area and scored three times. Greece had only two touches in England’s area but scored once and also hit the crossbar. Wiegman said she was unhappy that her team had conceded despite controlling so much of the attacking play.
Wiegman identified stopping counterattacks as a specific area for improvement. The Guardian placed the Greece goal alongside concerns from England’s 4-0 defeat by Spain in June and a loss to Belgium in April 2025. Those matches do not determine how the return leg will unfold, but they explain why England’s defensive organisation remains part of the discussion even with a two-goal aggregate lead.
What Wiegman wants from England’s attack
Asked after the first leg what she most wanted to improve, Wiegman answered: ‘The execution in the final third.’ She pointed to decisions about staying onside, when to pass, the timing of runs and whether to deliver a cross or a cutback. England created enough pressure to score three goals in Crete, but her answer made clear that the quality of the final action still mattered to her.
The Guardian also compared England’s qualifying wins over Iceland, by 1-0 and 2-0, with Spain’s 6-1 and 3-0 victories against the same opponents. Different matches cannot be treated as identical tests, but the comparison helps explain the focus on converting attacking opportunities. England’s task against Greece includes making possession and entries into the box count more consistently.
Who could start at No 10 and on the right
The starting No 10 role remains unsettled in the Guardian’s account. Jess Park, Lucia Kendall, Laura Blindkilde Brown and Lauren James have been given opportunities; Ella Toone has been recalled and Grace Clinton added to the squad. Beth Mead can also operate there. Wiegman described ‘a lot of competition’ and ‘a lot of options’ at the position, saying the choices allow England to play in different ways.
There is a separate choice on the right wing. Chloe Kelly was left out of the squad discussed by the Guardian, while James, uncapped Freya Godfrey, Blindkilde Brown and Mead were among the possible alternatives. Blindkilde Brown started there in Greece before Mead replaced her at half-time. That substitution shows the options Wiegman used in the first leg; it does not establish her preferred starter for later matches.
Which younger players are getting a chance
Erica Meg Parkinson, 18, made her senior England debut against Greece, and the FA’s match account also records a debut for Grace Fisk. Keira Walsh praised her Chelsea teammate Lexi Potter, while the Guardian reported calls for the 20-year-old Potter to receive a debut. Godfrey, 21, was another possible debutant. These are opportunities and possibilities, not evidence that any player has secured a long-term place.
Wiegman’s own position beyond the tournament is unresolved. Her contract runs until the end of the World Cup, according to the Guardian. Walsh said she wanted the manager to stay but added that ‘it’s her decision’. Wiegman said she was concentrating on Greece and did not want to discuss herself. There is no confirmed decision about her future in the cited reporting.
England’s possible route to the 2027 World Cup
The return against Greece is scheduled for 13 October in Leicester. Under UEFA’s format, the eight winners of the first play-off round advance to round two. If England progress, their potential opponent is Slovakia or Ukraine, with those ties scheduled between 26 November and 5 December 2026. The first-leg result alone does not settle England’s place in that round.
UEFA says seven of the eight round-two winners will qualify directly for the World Cup; the remaining winner will enter the inter-confederation play-offs. Brazil is due to host the finals from 24 June to 25 July 2027. England therefore have more than the Greece return to navigate, even if they retain their lead, and the selection and tactical questions raised after the first leg remain open.
Sources and context
- Six questions facing England as they target next year’s Women’s World CupThe Guardian
- Match Centre: Greece 1-3 EnglandEngland Football (The Football Association)
- Women’s European Qualifiers for 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup: Play-off drawUEFA
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