England needed three minutes to settle the nerves and a little over half an hour to settle the tie. By the time the Lionesses walked off at the King Power Stadium, Greece had been beaten 5-0 on the night and 8-1 across the two legs, and this Women's World Cup play-off semi-final was never really a contest.
Alessia Russo and Lauren James each scored twice. Georgia Stanway added the other, a header. Sarina Wiegman's side led 4-0 at the break and spent most of the second half hunting a sixth while the crowd chanted for exactly that.
Russo opens, James hits back-to-back
Russo scored in the third minute, set up by James, and the tone was set. Greece had troubled England on the counter in Friday's first leg, but they never found any room to do it again. James doubled the lead in the 16th minute with a powerful strike of her own.
Stanway made it three in the 30th minute, heading in after Lauren Hemp set it up, and Hemp was the supplier again four minutes later when James found the net for the second time. That was 4-0 before half-time, and the only live question left was how many England would score.
VAR, Godfrey and a quiet second half
The second half was a more patient story. England had nine shots without scoring before the fifth goal came, and Stanway thought she had added a sublime effort only for VAR to rule it out for offside. Freya Godfrey, on her Lionesses debut, found herself one-on-one with Greece goalkeeper Styliani Katergiannaki but tried to go across her and the keeper made the save. Later she showed some selflessness, heading back across goal for Beth Mead, who could not find a way through. Grace Fisk, who also made her England debut on Friday, won her second cap.
The breakthrough came in the 75th minute. Keira Walsh set up Russo, whose first touch took her away from her marker before she rounded the goalkeeper and slotted in at a tight angle. It was the finish of a striker in a very good run of form, and it deserved the goal.
What next for England
Former England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis said on BBC Radio 5 Live that she would not be surprised if Russo goes into the Arsenal season and passes 20 goals again. The pitch-side evidence on Tuesday did nothing to argue with that.
England now face Ukraine in the next round of the play-offs. Elsewhere on a good night for the home nations, Wales beat Albania 3-0 with Hannah Cain scoring the third to go through 4-0 on aggregate, and they will meet Norway next. Scotland were also heading through against the Czech Republic, with Christy Grimshaw scoring their third, and they would face Sweden next barring a late collapse.
Match facts: England 5-0 Greece (aggregate 8-1), Women's World Cup European play-off semi-final second leg, King Power Stadium, Tuesday 13 October 2026. Goals: Alessia Russo 3 and 75 minutes, Lauren James 16 and 34 minutes, Georgia Stanway 30 minutes. Half-time 4-0. Source: BBC Sport.
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