England beat Greece 3-1 in the first leg of their Women's World Cup 2027 qualifying play-off in Crete on Friday, taking control of the tie before Tuesday's return leg in Leicester.
Georgia Stanway opened the scoring and Maya Le Tissier netted her first England goal as the Lionesses built a two-goal cushion, though a Greek reply left head coach Sarina Wiegman demanding improvement.
The result puts England, ranked 55 places above their hosts in the FIFA world rankings, in a strong position to reach the second and final play-off round, where the winners of Slovakia versus Ukraine await.
Stanway and Le Tissier lead the scoring in Greece 1-3 England win
Stanway's opener was her 32nd England goal under Wiegman, the joint-most of any player in that period alongside Beth Mead, according to BBC Sport. It was also her fifth goal of the qualifying campaign, the most of any England player.
By scoring against Greece, the midfielder has now found the net against 23 different nations for England, joint-second alongside Fara Williams. Only Ellen White and Kelly Smith, with 24, have scored against more.
"It was difficult actually. A bit more transitional than we would have hoped," Stanway told ITV. "We can go with the lead, but this is only half the job done."
Le Tissier, starting at right-back in the absence of the injured Lucy Bronze, admitted her landmark goal came as a surprise even to her.
"I didn't really know it went in to be honest because I thought the keeper saved it. I just smacked it so I'm very glad," the Manchester United captain told ITV.
She said England had wanted to come away with the win and, while disappointed to concede, the result left the team in a good position going into the second leg in Leicester on Tuesday.
England have never lost in 30 internationals in which a Manchester United player has scored, winning 29 and drawing once, BBC Sport reported.
Wiegman unhappy with goal conceded despite victory
Wiegman praised her side's composure but identified clear flaws ahead of the second leg.
"Well of course the win and I think at moments we played really well. We started well, they started very aggressive too but we stayed calm," she told ITV.
She said England were not tight enough at times, did not move the ball quickly enough and were caught offside when chances opened up. "And of course I'm not happy with the goal we conceded," she added.
Former England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis was blunter on BBC Radio 5 Live: "England attack is five-star, the defence is two-star at best - needs urgent attention."
England dominated the match statistics and could have scored more, BBC Sport reported, with the attacking unit looking fluid, particularly in the second half.
Why England are in the play-offs at all
England won five of six group matches but finished second in their League A group behind world champions Spain, missing direct qualification. The four League A group winners — Denmark, France, Spain and Germany — went straight through to the 2027 finals in Brazil.
Fifty-three European nations entered qualifying, split into three leagues based on the 2025 UEFA Women's Nations League standings. England's play-off path pits second- and third-placed League A teams against sides promoted from League C.
Wiegman was without Aston Villa midfielder Lucia Kendall, who withdrew with a groin injury and was replaced by Grace Clinton, and Chelsea defender Bronze, who left the squad to manage a minor injury, with Ella Toone recalled in her place.
What comes next for England
The second leg takes place at Leicester's King Power Stadium on Tuesday, 13 October, kick-off 19:30 BST, with live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live.
Should England finish the job, they face Slovakia or Ukraine in the second round, scheduled between 26 November and 5 December 2026, with the away leg first. England hold a psychological edge over one of those potential opponents, having beaten Ukraine 9-1 on aggregate in the group stage.
Whether Wiegman tightens the defence, and whether Bronze and Kendall return for the later rounds, remains to be answered in Leicester.