England's Finishing Failings Resurface in Greece Play-Off — SkimNews
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- England won the first leg 3-1 in Crete on Friday but managed only 3 goals from 26 shots despite 74% possession, conceding once in the second half while Greece also struck the bar.
- Sarina Wiegman has demanded more ruthlessness from her squad ahead of Tuesday's second leg in Leicester (19:30 BST), pinpointing issues with staying onside, the final pass, and connections between players in attacking positions.
- Georgia Stanway is England's top scorer since Euro 2025 with 10 goals, ranking inside the top three for most international goals by European players at an 81 minutes-per-goal ratio.
- England have not won any match in which they have fallen behind since the end of Euro 2025, losing instead to Brazil and Spain.
- Lauren Hemp has scored just twice in 687 minutes and Lauren James has not netted in her past 425 minutes, underscoring the finishing drought beyond Russo.
- Injuries to strikers Aggie Beever-Jones and Michelle Agyemang have left Alessia Russo as the only recognised number nine, limiting Wiegman's options up front.
- The finishing concern echoes the 2023 World Cup, where England beat Haiti and Denmark 1-0, edged Nigeria via penalties, and needed a comeback to beat Colombia 2-1 in the quarter-finals.
Why it matters: England created 58 touches in Greece's box and 210 final-third passes but scored three times, a pattern that has persisted since the 2023 World Cup — with Hemp and James both goalless in significant recent minutes, Wiegman's side must sharpen its edge in the second leg or risk being punished in higher-stakes World Cup qualification.
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