Wales and Belgium renew rivalry with Nations League clash in Cardiff
Wales and Belgium renew rivalry with Nations League clash in Cardiff
Wales and Belgium drew 1-1 when they last met in a World Cup qualifier in November 2021
Venue: Cardiff City Stadium Date: Saturday, 11 June Kick-off: 19:45 BST
Coverage: Live on BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru, BBC Sport website and app, plus live text online. Highlights on BBC One Wales from 22:20 BST and later on demand
Line-ups
Wales
Formation 3-1-4-2
1Hennessey
5Mepham6Rodon4Davies
15Ampadu
14Roberts7Allen8Wilson3N Williams
11Bale20James
1Hennessey
5Mepham
6Rodon
4Davies
15Ampadu
14Roberts
7Allen
8Wilson
3N Williams
11Bale
20James
Substitutes
2Gunter
9Johnson
10Ramsey
12King
13Colwill
16Smith
17Norrington-Davies
18Williams
19M Harris
21Davies
22Thomas
23Burns
Belgium
Formation 3-4-2-1
13Casteels
19Dendoncker4Boyata3Theate
15Meunier6Witsel8Tielemans11Carrasco
7De Bruyne17Trossard
23Batshuayi
13Casteels
19Dendoncker
4Boyata
3Theate
15Meunier
6Witsel
8Tielemans
11Carrasco
7De Bruyne
17Trossard
23Batshuayi
Substitutes
1Sels
2Alderweireld
5Vertonghen
9Openda
10E Hazard
12Mignolet
14Praet
16T Hazard
18Januzaj
20Vanaken
21Castagne
22Saelemaekers
Live Text
Corner, Belgium. Conceded by Harry Wilson.
Attempt saved. Daniel James (Wales) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Neco Williams with a through ball.
Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Ethan Ampadu (Wales).
Attempt missed. Gareth Bale (Wales) left footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Daniel James with a through ball.
Foul by Yannick Carrasco (Belgium).
Connor Roberts (Wales) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Thomas Meunier (Belgium) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Neco Williams (Wales).
Attempt saved. Youri Tielemans (Belgium) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt blocked. Michy Batshuayi (Belgium) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Leandro Trossard.
Foul by Connor Roberts (Wales).
Yannick Carrasco (Belgium) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
VAR Decision: No Goal Wales 0-0 Belgium.
GOAL OVERTURNED BY VAR: Ethan Ampadu (Wales) scores but the goal is ruled out after a VAR review.
Offside, Wales. Daniel James tries a through ball, but Joe Rodon is caught offside.
Corner, Wales. Conceded by Youri Tielemans.
Corner, Wales. Conceded by Dedryck Boyata.
Foul by Leandro Trossard (Belgium).
Ethan Ampadu (Wales) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Wales will be targeting their first points of this Nations League campaign when they renew their rivalry with Belgium in Cardiff on Saturday.
Wales have lost both their Group A4 matches to Poland and the Netherlands.
Belgium, ranked second in the world, responded to a 4-1 home defeat by the Dutch with a 6-1 thrashing of Poland.
Having lost only once to Belgium in six meetings over the past nine years, Wales will hope to cause another upset at Cardiff City Stadium.
“We don’t fear anybody. We’re at this level because we’ve earned the right to be at this level,” said Wales manager Robert Page.
“We respect them as a team and a nation, and the manager [Roberto Martinez] is outstanding and what he’s done is brilliant. I don’t think he’ll ever go away from his beliefs, how he wants to play.
“Irrespective of what the starting XI is, we’re expecting a tough challenge and similar principles to what he’s always had.
“It will make for an entertaining game and a tough game for us – but we’ll be ready.”
Page is using Nations League matches as an opportunity to test his younger and fringe players against elite opposition, and their performances against Poland and the Netherlands have offered encouragement.
With the likes of Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen and Neco Williams rested for Wednesday’s home defeat against the Dutch, it might be that Wales’ team to face Belgium looks a little more like a full-strength line-up.
Striker Kieffer Moore (back), midfielder Joe Morrell (broken toe) and goalkeeper Danny Ward (knee) are out injured.
Brighton’s Leandro Trossard (centre) scored twice as Belgium hammered Poland 6-1 on Wednesday
Belgium will be without Romelu Lukaku after the Chelsea striker was injured during their opening defeat against the Netherlands on 3 June.
“Going into this next one, Wales are going into their fourth game of this camp and we’re going into our third. We’re expecting to see the two strongest squads go head-to-head,” Belgium manager Martinez told BBC Sport Wales.
“We’ll have a bit of an opportunity to share the efforts, to see what the strength is a little bit underneath [the first team] and learn some important lessons for Robert and myself before we make decisions about the final squads for the World Cup.
“You always want to win but the focus in this one is more trying to get strong lessons out of the performances, so we get the right final 26 for the World Cup.”
Match facts
Wales’ most recent win against Belgium was a 3-1 victory in their Euro 2016 quarter-final.
Belgium have won just two of their seven away games against Wales in all competitions, with those victories coming in March 1997 (2-1) and September 2012 (2-0).
Defeat against the Netherlands on Wednesday ended a 19-match unbeaten run for Wales at home.
Belgium have played more games in Nations League history without any ending in a draw than any other side, winning nine and losing five.
Wales have lost two of their last three games in all competitions, as many as in their previous 14.
Belgium have scored in each of their last 46 games since a 1-0 World Cup semi-final defeat to France in 2018.
Against no side has Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne scored more international goals than he has against Wales, netting three times in seven appearances.
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