England take control in Crete

England's women's team travelled to Crete for the first leg of their World Cup play-off and came away with a 3-1 win, the kind of away result that effectively settles the tone for the second leg before it's even kicked off.

According to Sky Sports, Greece were competitive for spells and did find a way through once, but England's three goals gave them the kind of cushion that changes how the return fixture needs to be approached by the hosts. A one-goal away win would have kept the tie nervy. A two-goal margin with an away goal in the bank does not.

What the scoreline actually buys England

Greece now need to not just win the second leg, they need to win it by two clear goals or score enough to flip the aggregate entirely, given England found the net on the road. That is a significantly harder task than defending a draw at home would have been.

BBC Sport's analysis of the win framed it as a dominant away performance rather than a nervy smash-and-grab, which matters context-wise: this wasn't a backs-to-the-wall 3-1, it was a team that controlled large stretches of the tie in Crete.

The job still to finish

None of this makes the second leg a formality. Play-off ties have a habit of turning on a single moment, and England will know that a below-par display at home in the return fixture could still invite trouble if Greece find an early goal and the crowd behind them.

But practically, this is the position every away team wants heading into a two-legged tie: a two-goal cushion, momentum, and control of the permutations. England just need to avoid the kind of concession-heavy night that would hand Greece a route back into it.