Belgium’s 2-1 victory over Wales was the case of one talisman triumphing over another. Kevin De Bruyne and Gareth Bale are two of the most dazzling football talents of this generation. While Wales’ icon found his influence blunted by a cameo off the bench, De Bruyne’s genius flowed freely through this Nations League tie. The defeat leaves Wales rooted to the foot of their group ahead of their crunch clash with Poland.
Wales looked solid early on, enjoying some promising periods of possession and pressing well off the ball. But, as he so often does in Manchester City blue, Kevin De Bruyne proved to be the difference maker. Belgium’s midfield genius rifled home a Michy Batshuayi cutback ten minutes in with a superb finish from outside of the box. It was a classy way to open the scoring and from there the tide turned.
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Youri Tielemans flashed a sitter wide of the goal from a Yannick Carrasco cross. A cutting De Bruyne ball saw Batshuayi’s shot blocked. The blonde dynamo then curled a shot over before scuffing another that was cleared by Rhys Norrington-Davies. Batshuayi slammed an Axel Witsel knockdown into the stands. The floodgates looked set to open at any moment.
There was an inevitability about De Bruyne being the one to break the Welsh resistance. His smartly-struck cross handed Batshuayi an open goal in which to stroke the ball for 2-0. Wales nearly replied, with Ethan Ampadu having a header punched away by Thibaut Courtois at a set piece. But ultimately it would have been an unjust reward after a half where Rob Page’s side were thoroughly dominated.
Few would have expected the start to the second half we got after how the first had played out. Brennan Johnson worked brilliantly down the right hand side before standing up a perfect cross for Kieffer Moore to head home. It was the sort of reaction Page would have demanded in his half time team talk.
A training ground free kick routine gave Tielemans a chance on the edge of the box, but his shot was deflected out for a corner. Wayne Hennessey punched away the resulting set piece to alleviate the danger. But Belgium kept the pressure on, their collective nose bloodied by Moore pulling one back for the visitors.
It was only a matter of time before Page pressed the button marked “Gareth Bale” and the Los Angeles FC superstar came on for Moore with just over 25 minutes left to play. The ex-Real Madrid man did earn a corner with an early header, showing the increased threat Wales pose with him on the pitch, Dan James also aimed a cross in his direction too as Wales’ strategy became “hit Bale”.
A penalty was awarded for Joe Morrell’s tackle on De Bruyne. Replays appeared to show the Wales player getting the ball but the on-field decision was a spot kick. The referee went to watch the incident in detail on VAR after vehement Welsh protests. Ultimately common sense prevailed and no penalty was given. Despite the boos inside the King Baudouin Stadium, it was the correct call.
Wales will not be too hurt by this. While the Nations League has its place, these fixtures are more about preparing for the World Cup this winter. On that score, there was encouragement in this performance for Page. The second half was much improved and the likes of Johnson, James and Moore had bright spots. Plus, with Bale to call on for a meatier role in Qatar, the future is bright.
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject To Change
