England women team carry two-goal lead enter second leg of Women’s World Cup qualifying play-off against Greece on Tuesday. Sarina Wiegman side beat Greece 3-1 for Crete on Friday. The Lionesses get 74% possession for first leg but dem only score three goals from 26 shots. Greece even hit bar with one powerful strike, and dem pull one goal back for second half.
Na not first time Lionesses dey struggle to make most of their chances. Since 2023 when dem finish runners-up to Spain for World Cup, lack of ruthlessness for front of goal don be recurring theme. For that tournament, dem come out of group stage unconvincingly, beating Haiti and Denmark 1-0 each. For knockout, dem pass Nigeria via penalty shootout and come from behind to beat Colombia 2-1 for quarter-finals. For World Cup qualifying this year, England perform well but dem no dey win with ease. Dem edge Iceland and Spain, and dem under-fire against Greece. But chances still dey, as dem get 58 touches inside Greece box and 210 passes for final third.
Midfielder Keira Walsh talk say the team play differently for 2023. She say pressure plenty when you dey World Cup. For these qualifying games, the worrying thing go be if dem no dey arrive final third, and that go be bigger problem. Walsh say na final pass, final cross and final shot dey miss on Friday. She talk say she see the girls do am for training every day and dem fantastic at it. She add say dem just need put am inside game tomorrow and hopefully dem go do am. Walsh call their hesitancy in front of goal frustrating and say dem know say work still dey for second leg.
One player wey don step up be Arsenal midfielder Georgia Stanway. She be England top scorer since Euro 2025 with 10 goals. She rank inside top three for most goals scored by European players in internationals and her minutes-per-goal ratio na 81. Wiegman hope say others go follow. The manager talk say dem get good positions but dem need stay onside, make final pass, find right pass at right moment, make run at right time and decide which cross, which cutback and whether to go far post. She say that also about connections between players in those situations and taking out counter-attack threat.
England problem no be lack of talent but maybe where best to use them. Chelsea Lauren James don switch positions from winger to number 10 and even centre-forward sometimes. Injuries to strikers Aggie Beever-Jones and Michelle Agyemang mean say competition small for Alessia Russo in number nine role. Lauren Hemp dey fantastic form but no be known for goalscoring prowess. Beth Mead dey used for midfield as well as attack. Former England striker Ellen White, wey remain Lionesses all-time top scorer, believe say building connections and setting right tempo dey crucial. White tell Women’s Football Weekly podcast say you need build your own rhythm. She say you no fit just whizz ball around quickly all the time, so you need players for midfield wey can dictate am. She talk say you then need connections with players wey close to you, like between number 10 and number nine. White remember say Fran Kirby be like dream for her because Kirby always put ball near her and dem get good connection. She say you have to build those connections.
Goals at least dey spread around team. England don get 11 different goalscorers since Euro 2025. Defenders Lucy Bronze, Jess Carter and Maya le Tissier don all net for past 18 months, while England number nine add six to tally. But England still no dey clinical and dem never win any game where dem trail since end of Euro 2025. Dem lose to Brazil and Spain for those occasions. Regular starter Hemp, wey don play 687 minutes, score just twice. Talented James no find back of net for her past 425 minutes. Part of problem be say England often meet weaker opposition wey sit for low block and dem find am hard to break dem down.
Ex-England midfielder Kirby tell Women’s Football Weekly say movement around box dey important. She say you need unselfish in your movement. You need runs in behind, even if dem no go get ball. You have to entice teams to come out. You need one person to make mistake and leave space. You also need pass to someone wey get higher percentage shot position than you. Kirby talk say e seem rushed against Greece instead of controlled. She say you have to be intricate in and around box.
