-myKhel Team

England opened their Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign with a 6-1 win over Ukraine, after a patient first half in Turkey gave way to a ruthless attacking display. Alessia Russo, Georgia Stanway and Jess Park each scored twice, while Yana Kalinina replied for Ukraine, as Sarina Wiegman highlighted the Lionesses’ strong mentality after the interval.

Despite the heavy scoreline, the European champions went into half-time without a goal, having dominated possession but struggled to break down Ukraine’s deep defensive block. England kept pushing after the restart, adjusted their attacking approach, and quickly turned control of the ball into clear chances and a decisive result in this Women’s World Cup qualifier.

Wiegman stressed that the performance level stayed high throughout, even when the scoreboard remained blank before the break. “We didn’t score in the first half when we should have scored,” she told ITV.We totally controlled the game, but just the final position in the cross and the quality of the shot or final touch wasn’t good. They dropped so deep, and with the crosses from far out, we were not able to score. We tried to create the chances or get more at the edge, in the half-spacesand have shots from the edge of the box, which we did a lot better in the second half. We put a lot of effort in, and we played the way we wanted to. We just wanted to score more goals. From where we had to cross and the kind of cross, we needed to change, which helped when we changed our wingers from one side to the other. That made it a bit easier for the team. Every time we lost the ball, we were so on it and that shows the mentality of the team.

The Lionesses’ dominance was clear in the underlying numbers from the Women’s World Cup qualifier. England produced 31 attempts on goal, hitting the target 13 times, while Ukraine rarely threatened. The expected goals data further highlighted the control England enjoyed across both halves, even before the breakthrough finally arrived.

Russo, who finished with a brace, agreed that England had played well even before the goals arrived in Turkey. “I think it took us the first half to break them down,” the forward reflected.I think we were still very good in the first half. They were defensively solid, but when the spaces opened, we took our chances. It wasnt relief [when we scored the first goal]. We knew we had the quality in us, and it was just executing it in those moments. We were happy with how we were doing at half-time, but we needed to find our ruthless edge. We were still positive about it. It was finding the final moment, the final pass and the final shot. You saw that in the second half.

The change after half-time was immediate in this Women’s World Cup qualifier, as England varied their crossing positions and used the half-spaces more effectively. Russo, Stanway and Park all found gaps that had been closed earlier, with quick combinations around the area and sharper finishing. The adjusted wing play, mentioned by Wiegman, stretched Ukraine and created repeated overloads.

The only setback for England came from a dead-ball situation, when Yana Kalinina scored Ukraine’s lone goal from a set-piece, denying the Lionesses a clean sheet. Even so, the team’s response after conceding stayed controlled, and England continued to manage territory and tempo without allowing further clear chances.

England’s overall display in the Women’s World Cup qualifier was underlined by their work without the ball, as Wiegman noted how quickly players reacted after losing possession. That intensity, combined with tactical tweaks in wide areas, helped maintain pressure until the game opened up. Attention now shifts to England’s next World Cup qualifier against Iceland on Saturday, as the Lionesses look to build on this strong start.

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