England beat Greece 5-0 to set up World Cup play-off against Ukraine

England advanced to the second round of Women's World Cup qualifying play-offs with a 5-0 victory over Greece in Leicester on Tuesday. Alessia Russo and Lauren James each scored twice, with Georgia Stanway adding the other goal as the Lionesses won the tie 8-1 on aggregate, according to Sky Sports.

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England Football's match report recorded an opening goal after three minutes, when James released Russo to finish. James then scored in the 16th minute following a pass from Maya Le Tissier. Lauren Hemp supplied the crosses for Stanway's header on the half-hour and James's second four minutes later, giving England a 4-0 half-time lead.

Russo completed the scoring in the 75th minute after Keira Walsh sent her through. England also had two efforts ruled out: debutant Lexi Potter's finish was disallowed for a foul during the preceding play, while Stanway was denied a second goal by an offside decision after a video review. Freya Godfrey also made her senior international debut from the bench.

Stanway's contribution continued a productive run for the midfielder. BBC Sport reported that she had scored 11 times in her last 11 England appearances. Against Greece, she registered four shots, completed 90% of her passes and won every tackle she attempted. Her attacking involvement included spells operating on the right rather than remaining in a conventional central midfield position.

Manager Sarina Wiegman explained that the selection of 20-year-old Potter in a deeper role allowed her to assess a different midfield balance, BBC Sport reported. Potter provided cover for Stanway and Walsh to move forward, with James playing behind the attack. Wiegman praised Stanway's ability both to contribute to possession play and to contest challenges, alongside her determination to get into scoring positions.

The result takes England through one qualifying hurdle but does not yet secure a place at the 2027 finals in Brazil. Ukraine await in a two-legged tie. England had entered the return match against Greece with a 3-1 advantage from the first leg and finished the second without conceding.