England are one step closer to Women’s World Cup qualification after settling their play-off semi-final against Greece with a merciless second-leg performance.
Lauren James was the star of the show as England put five past Greece on the night, winning 5-0 on the night and 8-1 on aggregate to set up a play-off final against Ukraine. James put on a first-half attacking masterclass, scoring twice and setting up another. An Alessia Russo brace and a goal from the excellent Georgia Stanway completed the scoring.
The Lionesses thrived on the energy of the 22,000-strong crowd at the King Power Stadium – a far cry from the soulless atmosphere last Friday in Crete which seemed to sap the dynamism from Sarina Wiegman’s team. It was the complete opposite in this second leg as Russo’s third-minute opener set the tone for what would be a free-scoring evening.
James was the provider for the opener, picking up a loose ball at the halfway line and driving forward to play in Russo, who outran the last defender and finished with ease. James then grabbed the first of her brace, a left-footed strike the likes of which only she can deliver.
Georgia Stanway added the third on the half-hour mark with a simple header from a Hemp cross. Hemp then set up James for her second four minutes late, which she tucked away in much simpler fashion.
In just 45 minutes, England – and mainly James – tore Greece apart. Hannah Hampton was called into action early on by Greek star forward Ioanna Papatheodorou, but this was largely an evening off for the Chelsea goalkeeper as England took full control.
Beth Mead replaced James at half-time, sadly preventing the Chelsea star from grabbing a hat-trick, but it was an understandable safety-first call from Wiegman in a tie effectively put to bed by Russo’s early goal.
From that goal onwards, it was a night for England to put on a show for a home crowd that came to see star players shine. The performance was good enough to expunge the memories of last Friday night, after which fans and writers alike wondered if England were losing their edge against weaker opposition.
Ahead of kick-off, a montage played out featuring clips from England’s incredible run to the Euro 2025 title, set to an EDM remix of Madonna’s Like a Prayer. It served as a reminder that this team can do special things when at their best, and tonight showed more than a glimpse of what may lie ahead.
By the time Russo scored her second and England’s fifth with 15 minutes to go – and the King Power DJ let rip another high-BPM banger – the evening’s exhibition was complete.
This tie was always expected to be straightforward for England, and the next game against Ukraine will likely be so, too. But along with the emphatic 8-1 aggregate scoreline, these two games have been cause for celebration for many of England’s stars of tomorrow.
Lexi Potter made her England debut in this second leg and looked at home in the Lionesses midfield. The Chelsea starlet has made an excellent start to the WSL season and showed impressive resilience after some nervy moments on Tuesday evening, continuing to ask for the ball throughout her 59-minute run-out. She almost had a goal to go with her first cap, but it was ruled out for a Stanway foul in the build-up.
Potter was joined on the England debut list by Freya Godfrey, who replaced Lauren Hemp on the left wing. Wiegman ends this window having given four debuts: Potter, Godfrey, Erica Meg Parkinson and Grace Fisk.
As intoxicating as this performance was, the result doesn’t change the reality of England’s performances over the last two to three years. An against-all-odds Euro 2025 campaign, where they spent most of the tournament fighting to stay alive, was followed by a solid World Cup-qualifying group stage that came undone against Spain in June.
England are expected to beat teams like Greece without much in the way of praise or gratitude, and the nation will expect more of the same against Ukraine in November and December. But winning in style, as they did here on Tuesday night, will build enthusiasm and excitement around this Lionesses team once again, just in time for another major tournament.