England defeated Greece 5-0 in the second leg to secure a 8-1 aggregate victory in their 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup first qualifying play-off round tie.
Alessia Russo fired England in front with a third-minute finish from Lauren James’ pass, before James scored twice either side of Georgia Stanway’s header to put the Lionesses comfortably on course for the second qualifying play-off round.
Russo eventually sealed the win with a tightly-angled 75th-minute finish from Keira Walsh’s direct pass into the box which settled a 8-1 aggregate victory, which ended Greece’s dreams of taking a step closer towards qualifying for a first FIFA Women’s World Cup.
England will now meet Ukraine in the final qualifying play-off round for a place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with the two-legged tie scheduled to be played between 26 November – 5 December which will begin with an away first leg before England host the second leg.
With a 3-1 aggregate lead from the first leg, England quickly snuffed out any prospect of a Greek comeback as James slipped Russo forward in the third minute to rifle their opener into the far-bottom left corner.
Ionna Papatheodorou and Veatriki Sarri saw shots punched away by Hannah Hampton as Greece quickly set about reducing their aggregate deficit again.
England however continued to pose a threat on the counter-attack as the ball fell for Maya Le Tissier in the 16th minute, and the right-back proceeded to cut in from the right flank only to slip James forward to curl the Lionesses’ second goal into the top right corner.
Any hope that Greece still had of a miraculous comeback were ended on the half-hour mark as Stanway nodded in from Lauren Hemp’s cutback cross from the left.
Hemp four minutes later created another assist as she teed up James to sweep her pass across into the bottom right corner to put England in firm control at half time, although the lead could of been larger if Leah Williamson’s shot hadn’t been saved or James curled over the top left corner.
England continued to pose issues early in the second half as Russo saw a shot saved and substitute, Beth Mead nodded a cross wide.
Stanway then added her second goal in the 49th minute after she smashed debutant, Lexi Potter’s direct cross into the far left corner, yet VAR intervened and disallowed the goal because Stanway had marginally been in an offside position.
Hemp almost found England’s fifth goal from a 53rd-minute cross from Mead but nodded over the bar.
Mead then flicked a shot wide whilst Stanway blazed a shot high into the crowd as England continued to control proceedings against a stubborn low-block Greek defence.
England eventually found their way through from a 75th-minute forward pass by Walsh which fell for Russo, and the Women’s player of the year sidestepped Styliani Katergiannaki to slot into the far-bottom left corner from a tight angle.
Substitute, Freya Godfrey nearly heaped further misery in the 81st minute after she found herself unmarked in the box, yet Katergiannaki crucially punched her low curled shot away from the far-bottom right corner.
England eventually saw the game out to secure their passage into the second qualifying play-off round where Ukraine stand between them and a seventh qualification for the Women’s World Cup in Brazil next summer.
Teams
England: Hannah Hampton, Maya Le Tissier (Charles 59′), Leah Williamson (Fisk 72′), Jess Carter, Alex Greenwood, Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway, Lexi Potter (Park 60′), Lauren James (Mead 46′), Alessia Russo, Lauren Hemp (Godfrey 60′)
Substitutes: Laura Blindkilde Brown, Niamh Charles, Grace Clinton, Grace Fisk, Freya Godfrey, Khiara Keating, Beth Mead, Anna Moorhouse, Esme Morgan, Jess Park Erica Meg Parkinson, Ella Toone
Greece: Styliani Katergiannaki, Vasiliki Giannaka, Maria Gouni, Eleni Markou, Maria Paterna (Ntarzanou 46′), Efi Brame (Drakogiannaki 46′), Veatriki Sarri (Chalatsogianni 70′), Athanasia Moraitou (Rapani 46′), Eleni Saich (Argyriou 81′), Ionna Papatheodorou, Calliste Brouksair
Substitutes: Panagiota Argyriou, Georgia Chalatsogianni, Matina Ntarzanou, Eleftheria Drakogiannaki, Argyro Fakinou, Dimitra Giannakouli, Maria Kapnisi, Sophia Kongouli, Maria Palama, Rafaella Petaloti, Marianna Rapani, Ilektra Tzourtzevits
Referee – Rasa Grigone (Lithuania)
Leave a Reply