Greece 1-3 England: Women’s World Cup playoff semi-final, first leg – as it happened

7.47pm BST

That’s all for this here live blog. I’ll leave you with Tom Garry’s report from the Stadio Pankritio. Goodnight!

Related: Lionesses take firm control of World Cup playoff tie against Greece

7.44pm BST

Sarina Wiegman's verdict I’m pleased with the win, and at times we played really well. They started aggressively but we stayed calm.

We also have things to work on. At times we weren’t tight enough and didn’t move the ball quickly enough. We could have scored so many more goals. And of course I’m not happy with the goal we conceded.

[On Maya Le Tissier’s goal] She’s really improving her game. She’s more comfortable, she covered a lot of space today and she played really high up the pitch.

7.41pm BST

Leah Williamson and Sarina Wiegman have been locked in a lengthy conversation on the pitch. For more than five minutes, they have been chatting. That’s unusual.

7.41pm BST

Georgia Stanway’s reaction

It was difficult, actually. It was a bit more transitional than we hoped, which is something we’ll try to minimise in the second leg.

We wanted to fill the pockets as much as possible and try to make their back line jump out. I had some good chances and could maybe have scored more than one.

7.33pm BST

As the England players go over to thank the 500 travelling fans, the players seem relatively muted with their celebrations. They know that wasn’t their best performance, that’s for sure. There are some positives to take but also plenty of fairly worrying periods of mediocrity against a weak Greece side who have most recently been playing in the third tier of the Nations League.

7.33pm BST

Maya Le Tissier’s reaction

Yeah it was good [to score her first England goal]. I just smacked it!

[On her more attacking role] I enjoyed it. I love defending as well; I’ll try to give my best whatever position I play.

We wanted to come her and get the win. Bit gutted to concede a goal but we’re in a good position going into the game on Tuesday.

7.23pm BST

Full time: Greece 1-3 England Mead turns Hemp’s cross wide from eight yards, though she was offside so it wouldn’t have counted. That’s the last kick of the game.

It was a predictably comfortable night for England in Crete. Georgia Stanway, Maya Le Tissier and Alessia Russo scored the goals, and there could have been more before the impressive Kallisti Brouksair pulled one back for Greece.

Unless they redefine ineptitude in the second leg on Tuesday, England will go through to the final playoff round. Chances are they will meet Ukraine, who won 3-1 away to Slovakia tonight.

7.19pm BST

90+1 min: England substitution Esme Morgan is replaced by Grace Fisk, who makes her international debut at the age of 28.

Four minutes of added time.

7.18pm BST

90 min: Park hits the bar! England cut Greece open on the break. Mead plays a simple pass through to Park, who blisters a shot off of the underside of the crossbar.

Actually, I think Park was offside so it wouldn’t have counted.

7.15pm BST

87 min: Greece substitutions Grigoria Pouliou and Ilektra Tzourtzevits come on for Sarri and Papatheodorou.

7.15pm BST

87 min The diving Mead heads Walsh’s cross over the bar.

7.13pm BST

85 min: England substitution Erica Meg Parkinson, aged 18, comes on to make her England debut. Lauren James is going off.

7.11pm BST

83 min Another long-range effort from James, this time with her left foot, drifts a couple of yards wide.

7.08pm BST

79 min A lovely effort from James, a clipped shot on the run from the edge of the D, goes this far wide.

7.08pm BST

78 min: Greece substiution Sofia Kongouli replaces Eleftheria Drakogiannaki.

7.06pm BST

GOAL! Greece 1-3 England (Brouksair 77) Kallisti Brouksair scores Greece’s first goal against England. Morgan allowed a long ball to bounce, and from that moment England were in a bit of trouble. Papatheodorou found Brouksair, who beat Williamson with a stepover and drove a firm left-foot shot into the far corner. Excellent goal.

Updated at 7.19pm BST

7.03pm BST

75 min Mead’s snapshot is kept out desperately by Petaloti.

7.01pm BST

73 min: England substitution Jess Park replaces Alessia Russo, who made one and scored one. A good night’s work.

6.59pm BST

70 min Petaloti is beaten to an angled cross by Hemp, who hooks the ball back into the six-yard box. Petaloti has to charge back towards her own goal to claim.

6.58pm BST

69 min: Greece substitutions Eleni Saich and Georgia Chalatsogianni replace Efthimia Brame and Athanasia Moraitou.

6.56pm BST

GOAL! Greece 0-3 England (Russo 67) Alessia Russo gets on the scoresheet with a typically precise finish. She gave the ball to Mead on the right, received the return and dragged a low shot on the turn that beat Petaloti to her right.

Updated at 7.09pm BST

6.53pm BST

65 min Mead shoots wide from 22 yards, then Stanway curls wide after a high press from England. Greece are starting to look tired.

6.52pm BST

Lucy Bronze would have been proud of that. Walsh received a square pass 25 yards from goal, worked the angle and found Le Tissier on the right side of the area. She got the ball out of her feet and lashed a rising drive that was too hot for Petaloti. She got a touch but could only push the ball into the roof of the net.

Updated at 6.52pm BST

6.51pm BST

GOAL! Greece 0-2 England (Le Tissier 63) Maya Le Tissier smashes her first goal for England!

Updated at 6.59pm BST

6.47pm BST

58 min: Good save by Petaloti! James strolls past a couple of defenders, as only she can, and pokes an angled pass to Le Tissier on the right side of the area. She curls a rising shot that is batted round the near post by the diving Petaloti.

6.44pm BST

56 min A 1-0 lead away from home in a two-legged tie is never a bad thing, but most people expected England to be more dominant than this.

It’s often the way in such games: not many goals for the first hour, then a shedload at the end.

6.44pm BST

55 min Mead is offside when she runs onto a clever through pass from Greenwood. That’s probably a blessing because she lost her footing and could only poke the ball straight at Petaloti.

6.41pm BST

52 min Hampton makes a simple save from a far-post header. Not that it would have counted: the flag went up for offside as soon as the ball was dead.

6.38pm BST

50 min James curls a pass over the top of the Greece defence. Mead makes a fine run, out to in, but can’t control an awkward dropping ball on the edge of the area.

6.38pm BST

49 min A quiet start to the second half.

6.33pm BST

46 min England have made a half-time substitution: Beth Mead on, Laura Blindkilde Brown off.

6.19pm BST

Half-time reading

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6.18pm BST

Half time: Greece 0-1 England A comfortable first half for England in Crete. They had a scare when Ioanna Papatheodorou hit the crossbar after a 60-yard run, but that aside it was one-way traffic.

Lauren James had a goal disallowed and Lauren Hemp drove just wide before Georgia Stanway finished off a sharp move involving Keira Walsh, Laura Blindkilde Brown and Alessia Russo.

6.15pm BST

45 min Two minutes of added time.

6.12pm BST

42 min Stanway mishits a long-range shot well wide.

6.11pm BST

41 min Lauren James almost makes it 2-0, flipping a left-foot shot just wide of the far post after a smart turn. It was a tough chance.

6.10pm BST

That’s how to play in tight spaces. Walsh started the incision, feeding a pass into Stanway on the edge of the D. She flicked it to Blindkilde Brown, who moved it on quickly to Russo in the area. Russo cushioned a lovely pass into the path of Stanway, who slid a first-time finish past Petaloti. Very good goal.

6.09pm BST

GOAL! Greece 0-1 England (Stanway 39) England take the lead with an excellent team goal.

Updated at 6.18pm BST

6.08pm BST

37 min It’s been a frustrating half for England. The rhythm and tempo of their passing have been pretty good; they’re just not creating chances.

6.06pm BST

34 min: Papatheodorou hits the crossbar! Ioanna Papatheodorou almost scores the goal of her life. She received the ball halfway inside the Greece half, turned Morgan smoothly and charged at a backpedalling defence. She beat Williamson and then Hemp before driving a flat chip from 22 yards. It beat Hampton and thumped off the crossbar. What an effort!

Updated at 6.13pm BST

6.03pm BST

33 min A rare Greece attack when Brouksair beats Le Tissier and drives a cross that is claimed by Hampton.

6.02pm BST

32 min For all England’s dominance, Petaloti has only had one relatively difficult save to make.

6.00pm BST

29 min: Just wide from Hemp! Greece try to break from an England corner. Stanway wins the ball back with a zesty tackle – I thought a foul would be given – and plays it out to Hemp on the left side of the area. She takes a touch and whistles a low shot this far wide of the far post.

Updated at 6.00pm BST

5.58pm BST

28 min England win a free-kick 30 yards from goal, a fair way to the left of centre. James clips it over the wall and well wide of the near post.

5.56pm BST

26 min A dangerous chipped cross from Le Tissier is headed away bravely by Giannaka at the far post.

5.53pm BST

23 min Paterna waves impatiently at her teammates after deflecting Le Tissier’s cross behind for a corner. Greece need to find some way to alleviate the pressure.

5.51pm BST

NO GOAL! Greece 0-0 England James ran back from an offside position to receive a crisp pass from Walsh, turn and float a nonchalant chip over Petaloti from 25 yards. It would have been a gorgeous goal, but replays confirm she was clearly offside.

Updated at 5.52pm BST

5.50pm BST

GOAL! Greece 0-1 England (James 20) Lauren James scores a majestic goal – but it might be ruled out for offside.

Updated at 5.56pm BST

5.49pm BST

A few Greek fans are arriving late but their numbers are still small. We have around 500 England fans to our left and perhaps 1,500 Greek fans opposite us - that’d be my estimate. We can hear the England players shouting instructions to each other on the pitch.

5.47pm BST

17 min: Good save by Petaloti Walsh spanks a rising drive from 25 yards that is pushed behind by the diving Petaloti. An England goal is in the post.

5.47pm BST

16 min They have now. Le Tissier gets to the byline and cuts the ball back to Blindkilde Brown, who shifts it away from a defender and sweeps a low shot straight at Petaloti. Her speed of thought, and foot, were excellent but the shot was too close to the keeper.

Updated at 5.48pm BST

5.46pm BST

15 min England have had 80% of the possession, which is 7.2 tenths of the law. But they’ve yet to manage a shot on target.

5.42pm BST

12 min Walsh, who has a taste for goals right now, makes room on the edge of the area and tries a chip that lands on the roof of the net. Once again, Petaloti had it covered.

5.41pm BST

11 min A low cross from Hemp rolls across the six-yard box. Russo made a run towards the near post, but Hemp’s cross was designed for a far-post tap-in.

Updated at 5.42pm BST

5.40pm BST

10 min England are dominating the ball, as expected, and playing at a good tempo.

Stanway wins a corner on the left that is taken by James. The ball bounces around the area before Greece clear.

5.37pm BST

7 min Stanway has England’s first shot, a low drive from 20 yards that rolls wide of the far post. Petaloti had it covered.

Updated at 5.51pm BST

5.36pm BST

6 min A decent move from England ends when James’ cross is too close to the young keeper Petaloti.

5.33pm BST

3 min England are playing with a back three of Greenwood, Morgan and Williamson when they have the ball. Le Tissier is really high, essentially a right-winger. When Greece have the ball, England are reverting to the expected back four.

Updated at 5.34pm BST

5.32pm BST

2 min A decent cross from Brouksair is cut out at the near post by the stretching Williamson.

5.30pm BST

1 min England kick off from left to right as we watch.

5.29pm BST

There is a minute’s silence in honour of the Greece international and former Sheffield United defender George Baldock, who died two years ago today at the shockingly young age of 31.

5.25pm BST

Thanks to Trevor for pointing out that Tuesday’s second leg is at the King Power Stadium – not, as I suggested earlier, at Wembley.

Grauniad gonna Grauniad.

Updated at 5.29pm BST

5.24pm BST

The players line up for the anthems. As Tom Garry said earlier, there isn’t much of a crowd in Crete. I guess England won’t mind that.

5.18pm BST

The Women’s Super League will face major disruption next season due to the Club World Cup, with Arsenal and Chelsea likely to be absent from domestic competition for up to a month.

The Guardian revealed last week that the inaugural Women’s Club World Cup is set to be awarded to the US, with transatlantic travel to cause additional problems for European sides, whwhile the proposed dates of 5-30 January will clash directly with the WSL.

Fifa has yet to confirm the qualification criteria for the Club World Cup but the Guardian has learned Arsenal are guaranteed to be involved as 2025 Champions League winners and Chelsea are likely to join them, although they would lose their place if Manchester City win this season’s Champions League. Based on this season’s schedule, an extended run in the Club World Cup would mean the two English clubs missing up to four WSL match weeks plus the fourth round of the FA Cup, playing havoc with the fixture list and causing major congestion at the end of the season.

Related: Arsenal and Chelsea set to miss a month of next WSL season due to Club World Cup

5.09pm BST

Sarina Wiegman’s pre-match thoughts

[On the inclusion of Laura Blindkilde Brown] We expect to have the ball a lot today and she’s really good in small, tight spaces. We expect her to be in the pocket a lot to receive and continue the possession game.

There’s a lot at stake, we know that. We want to win – but we want to play really well, too, and show who we are.

4.51pm BST

The head to head

There isn’t one; this is the first meeting between Greece and England.

4.47pm BST

Good evening from the Pankritio Stadium. We have the Sea of Crete to our left and some beautiful mountains to our right, whilst the England goalkeepers are warming up in front us as another blue-sky day turns to twilight. The scene may be pretty but the atmosphere is calm, quiet and frankly a bit flat.

Tickets were free for this match but the locals don’t appear particularly enthused and it’s fair to say Women’s World Cup fever has not gripped the city of Heraklion just yet. There are a few hundred England fans here, currently outnumbering the Greeks. I can see Chelsea, Birmingham City and Derby County flags amongst the England banners draped behind the goal.

Updated at 4.48pm BST

4.21pm BST

Team news Sarina Wiegman makes two changes, both in defence, from England’s previous World Cup qualifier against Ukraine in the summer. Leah Williamson and Alex Greenwood return in place of Jess Carter and Niamh Charles.

Greece (4-3-3) Petaloti; Giannaka, Gkouni, Markou, Paterna; Drakogiannaki, Brame, Moraitou; Sarri, Papatheodorou, Brouksair.

Subs: Giannakouli, Katergiannaki, Ntarzanou, Theodoraki, Kapnisi, Chalatsogianni, Tzourtzevits, Saich, Rapani, Pouliou, Tsela, Kongouli.

England (4-3-3) Hampton; Le Tissier, Williamson, Morgan, Greenwood; Stanway, Walsh, Blindkilde Brown; Hemp, Russo, James.

Subs: Keating, Moorhouse, Charles, Potter, Carter, Fisk, Park, Mead, Parkinson, Godfrey, Toone.

Referee Martina Molinaro (Italy).

Updated at 4.26pm BST

4.17pm BST

The last time England failed to qualify for the World Cup was in 2003. They had the misfortune to be drawn in the same group as Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal, with only the top team going through – no playoffs, no second chances.

Germany won all six games in qualification – and all six at the actual tournament in the United States. They became world champions for the first time and retained the trophy in 2007.

Updated at 4.18pm BST

4.03pm BST

Sarina Wiegman heaped praise on Ella Toone for her positive reaction to being left out of England’s initial squad for their Women’s World Cup playoff against Greece, after recalling the Manchester United midfielder for Friday’s first leg in Heraklion, Crete.

An injury sustained by Lucy Bronze, described by Wiegman as “really small”, prompted the England right-back to return to Chelsea and Wiegman called up Toone, who travelled to Greece from Spain, where she had organised a training routine during the international window.

Toone has 69 caps and has scored 24 goals, including in the Euro 2022 final and 2023 World Cup semi-final, but Wiegman said when naming her squad that she had left out Toone and Chloe Kelly because “the levels weren’t what I expect from them on the pitch”. On Saturday, after starting Manchester United’s victory over Liverpool, Toone took ownership of things, telling the BBC: “It’s about me now. I’ve got to keep working hard and use it as fuel to come back even better.”

Wiegman, asked whether she had been impressed with Toone’s response, said: “Yes, very much. I think when I gave her the call, of course that was a hard call. But she took that straight away. Of course [she was] very disappointed, but the first thing she did [was say]: ‘OK, I’m going to get back, I’m going to do that.’ She has the support around her too.”

Related: Wiegman praises Toone’s attitude after late Lionesses recall for Greece playoff

4.00pm BST

Preamble unthinkable 1. adjective

If you say that something is unthinkable, you are emphasizing that it cannot possibly be accepted or imagined as a possibility.

[Credit: Collins Online Dictionary]

It’s unthinkable that England won’t qualify for next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil – but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. No matter how good you are, the playoffs come with dangerous levels of jeopardy. England should be fine, but they still need to dot Is, cross Ts and beat Greece and either Slovakia or Ukraine.

Those are the other teams in England’s little corner of the playoffs. Greece are the first challenge; if you’re into the whole rankings thing, this tie is 59th v 4th. Greece cruised through their group, winning all four games against the Faroe Islands and Georgia. England had the misfortune to be drawn in the same group as Spain, who beat them in the 2023 World Cup final and pipped them to automatic qualification for 2027.

The winners of this tie – the second leg is at Wembley the King Power Stadium on Tuesday – will play either Slovakia or Ukraine in November and December. Whoever wins that will be off to Brazil next summer. It’s unthinkable it won’t be England. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

Kick off 5.30pm BST.

Updated at 5.24pm BST