England Takes 3-1 Lead Against Greece in Women's World Cup Play-off

England Women's football team achieved a 3-1 victory against Greece in the first leg of their World Cup qualifying play-off held in Crete. The match saw goals from Georgia Stanway, Maya Le Tissier, and Alessia Russo, putting England in a strong position ahead of the second leg in Leicester.

Stanway opened the scoring after a well-executed team move, followed by Le Tissier's goal shortly after halftime. Russo then added a third goal, capitalizing on a pass from Beth Mead. Greece's Calliste Brookshire managed to score a late goal, providing a glimmer of hope for the home side.

Despite a disallowed goal from Lauren James and a near miss when Ioanna Papatheodorou hit the crossbar, England maintained control throughout the match. The winner of this play-off will face either Slovakia or Ukraine in the next round as they aim for a spot in the Brazil 2027 World Cup.