England take firm control of World Cup playoff tie but Greece stay in it

England opened the two‑legged World Cup playoff against Greece with a 3‑1 victory at home, securing a solid advantage but falling short of the dominant display they had hoped for, according to The Guardian.

Georgia Stanway opened the scoring with a clean finish, followed by Maya Le Tissier – who notched her first goal for England – and a low strike from Alessia Russo. The trio’s contributions gave the Lionesses control for most of the encounter.

Greece pulled one back through Ioanna Papatheodorou, reminding England that a 3‑1 lead is not insurmountable and that the tie will be decided in the second leg on Tuesday.

Both sides will now turn their attention to the return fixture, where England will aim to cement their place in the World Cup while Greece will look to overturn the deficit.