England took a significant step towards the second round of their FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 play-off campaign with a 3-1 victory over Greece, but the Lionesses left Crete knowing the tie should already be closer to finished.
Goals from Georgia Stanway, Maya Le Tissier and Alessia Russo gave Sarina Wiegman's side a healthy advantage at the Pankritio Stadio.
However, Kallisti Brouksair's late strike means Greece still have something to fight for ahead of Tuesday's second leg at the King Power Stadium.
England dominated possession and created plenty of opportunities, but their lack of a clinical edge allowed the hosts to remain in the contest for much longer than expected.
Georgia Stanway Gives England the Lead Before Half-Time
England started with plenty of possession but struggled to turn their control into clear-cut chances.
The Lionesses had 78% possession in the first half, yet Greece created one of the biggest opportunities of the opening 45 minutes.
Ioanna Papatheodorou broke through England's midfield before seeing her ambitious effort crash against the crossbar, providing an early warning for Wiegman's side.
England eventually found the breakthrough in the 39th minute.
Arsenal midfielder Georgia Stanway finished off a move involving Alessia Russo to give the visitors a 1-0 lead heading into half-time.
It was a goal that settled some of England's nerves, but the performance remained below the level expected from the reigning European champions.
Maya Le Tissier Scores Her First England Goal
England emerged with greater purpose after the break and finally began to make their superiority count.
Maya Le Tissier doubled the advantage in the 63rd minute, scoring her first goal for England.
The Manchester United captain was also one of the standout performers of the night, stepping into the right-back position in the absence of the injured Lucy Bronze.
Le Tissier was named player of the match, underlining just how impressive her contribution was on a night when England's overall performance never quite reached its usual level.
The goal also gave England some much-needed breathing room.
Alessia Russo Makes It 3-0 Before Greece Hit Back
Four minutes after Le Tissier's goal, England struck again.
Alessia Russo made it 3-0 in the 67th minute, with Beth Mead providing the assist as England finally began to punish Greece for their defensive fatigue.
At that stage, the Lionesses looked to be heading towards a commanding first-leg victory.
But Greece refused to collapse.
Papatheodorou remained a constant threat and eventually played a role in reducing the deficit, setting up Kallisti Brouksair to score in the 77th minute.
The goal gave the hosts renewed belief and provided England with a reminder that the tie is not yet over.
England Miss Chances to Build a Bigger First-Leg Lead
The biggest frustration for Wiegman will be the number of opportunities England failed to convert.
Lauren Hemp was among those to threaten, while Beth Mead also went close.
Jess Park struck the underside of the crossbar in stoppage time, although the effort would not have counted because she was offside.
Lauren James produced one of the moments of the match when she chipped Greece goalkeeper Rafailia-Dimitra Petaloti from around 25 yards, but the effort was ruled out for offside.
However, her effort was ruled out for offside.
England's superior quality was clear throughout the match, particularly as Greece began to tire, but the scoreline could easily have been more emphatic.
That could be the biggest talking point heading into the second leg.
Le Tissier Impresses in Unfamiliar Right-Back Role
While the overall display was not England at their best, Le Tissier's performance provided a major positive.
Asked to fill the void left by Lucy Bronze, the Manchester United defender looked comfortable at right-back and capped her display with her first international goal.
Her ability to step into the role will be particularly encouraging for Wiegman, with England facing a demanding run of fixtures as they attempt to secure their place at next year's World Cup.
Georgia Stanway's goal was another important moment, while Russo continued her strong international form with another goal.
But England will know they need more from their attacking play in Leicester.
England Must Finish the Job in the Second Leg
Despite the frustrations, England are now firmly in control of the tie.
A 3-1 away victory gives the Lionesses a two-goal advantage heading into Tuesday's return fixture, and Greece will need a remarkable turnaround at the King Power Stadium to progress.
England remain heavy favourites to reach the second round of the play-offs.
However, Wiegman will want a more convincing display from her side.
The Lionesses have ambitions of returning to the World Cup and competing for major honours, and performances like this highlight both their quality and the areas still requiring improvement.
There is little doubt England should have scored more in Crete.
But ultimately, the most important thing is that they return home with a significant advantage.
When Is England's Second Leg Against Greece?
The second leg takes place at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday, 13 October, with kick-off at 7:30pm BST.
England will know that Greece are capable of causing problems if given encouragement, but the Lionesses have given themselves an excellent platform to progress.
Should Wiegman's side complete the job, they will face either Ukraine or Slovakia in the second round of the play-offs.
Ukraine also won their first leg 3-1 away from home, meaning England could face another difficult challenge before their place at the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup is secured.
For now, though, the message from Crete is simple: job done but there is still work to do.
