England's low-block problem returns in Greece

Greece sat in, packed the box and dared England to find a way through, and for long spells it worked. Wiegman's side had territory and possession without the sharpness to match it, the kind of evening that has become uncomfortably recurring for this generation of Lionesses against sides who refuse to engage.

A win, but not a convincing one

England took the lead they needed to head home with the advantage in the tie, and a first-leg win away from home in a playoff is exactly the platform Wiegman will have wanted. But the manner of it will have done little to settle nerves. Greece's low block absorbed pressure for large periods, and England's final ball too often lacked the conviction to split it open.

This is not a new story. England have faced variations of the same problem against sides happy to concede the ball and defend deep, and Heraklion was another occasion where control in midfield did not translate cleanly into chances.

Russo's return matters

Alessia Russo's involvement is the detail Wiegman will lean on most heading into the second leg. Russo's movement and link play give England a different route through a packed box, someone who can hold the ball up, draw defenders and open space for runners behind. If England are going to solve the low-block puzzle over two legs, Russo's form is the clearest lever available to pull.

The forward has not always had it easy for club and country through this period, and a return to sharpness at exactly the moment England need penetration against a side built to frustrate is the kind of coincidence Wiegman will be quietly grateful for, if it holds.

What the second leg needs

England's qualification for the 2026 World Cup now runs through a home second leg with the tie not yet settled. An advantage from Heraklion is useful, but it is not safety, and Greece will arrive at the return fixture having seen exactly how to make life difficult for the Lionesses: sit deep, stay compact, make England impatient.

Wiegman has the players to break that pattern. Whether England have the attacking rhythm to do it consistently, rather than in flashes, is the question this first leg left unanswered.