Sarina Wiegman identifies England improvements despite Greece victory

Sarina Wiegman wants England to move the ball faster and improve their attacking coordination before Tuesday’s World Cup qualifying play-off return against Greece.

The Lionesses won Friday’s first leg 3-1 in Crete, with Georgia Stanway, Maya Le Tissier and Alessia Russo scoring to establish a two-goal advantage.

Sarina Wiegman calls for sharper England display

“At moments in the game we weren’t tight enough, the ball wasn’t moving quick enough,” Wiegman said in England’s official post-match reaction.

She also highlighted the need for better coordination in advanced positions, with offside decisions interrupting promising attacks.

Greece’s reply provided another frustration. Wiegman added: “I’m not happy with the goal we conceded.”

However, she praised England’s composure against the hosts’ aggressive start and singled out Le Tissier’s contribution.

The Manchester United defender scored her first senior international goal, with Wiegman pleased by her ability to cover ground and support attacks while fulfilling her defensive responsibilities.

When do England play Greece again?

England host the second leg at Leicester’s King Power Stadium on Tuesday 13 October, with kick-off at 7.30pm BST.

Progress would take them into another two-legged play-off against either Ukraine or Slovakia. Ukraine lead that tie 3-1 following the opening match.

England therefore still have another round to negotiate if they complete the job against Greece. Tuesday’s match alone cannot secure their place at the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.