Wales qualified for the semi-finals of a major tournament for the first time in their history as they overcame Belgium by three goals to one in a fascinating Euro 2016 quarter-final tie at Lille Metropole.
Belgium took the lead through Radja Nainggolan’s terrific strike, but were left to rue some poor marking as Ashley Williams’ free header made it 1-1.
Chris Coleman’s side took the lead in the second half through Hal Robson-Kanu, whose magnificent turn prior to the goal instantly took three Belgian defenders out of the game. The victory was sealed in the 86th minute as substitute Sam Vokes headed across goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois from wingback Chris Gunter’s cross.
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Here are the talking points from a historic encounter at Lille Metropole:
1) A contrasting first half
When Belgium’s crop of world-class players began to display their class right from the first minute, one feared that this could be a long, long night for the Welsh. Eden Hazard was creative, Romelu Lukaku was probing, while full-backs Jordan Lukaku and Thomas Meunier were constantly running the Welsh wingbacks Chris Gunter and Neil Taylor ragged.
Three of Wales’ back five were booked within the first half an hour. Their passing too was pretty wayward, Joe Allen and Joe Ledley repeatedly being the culprits of Belgian interceptions in the middle of the pitch.
However, Wales’ heroic defending in that early period ensured they were still in the game despite Nainggolan’s fantastic opener. They slowly worked their way back into it as the first half progressed. Their ball movement was more cohesive and they were creating more chances through Aaron Ramsey’s excellent passing in the attacking third. Gareth Bale’s pace was also beginning to prove a threat for Belgium’s inexperienced defence. Their team spirit and commitment in the early stages were reaping rewards.
Ashley Williams’ equaliser in the 33rd minute spurred a massive twist in fortunes for Chris Coleman’s side. They dominated proceedings since and made sure that Belgium’s backs were against the wall for much of the remainder of the game.
2) Could Wayne Hennessey have done better with Nainggolan’s strike?
Radja Nainggolan’s fierce strike from 25 yards out in the 13th minute managed to beat the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey to give Belgium the lead. Many Welsh fans would have pointed their fingers at Hennessey – claiming that had the goalkeeper of his height timed his jump better, he might have had a better shot at tipping the ball over the crossbar.
However, replays showed that Hennessey’s line of sight was blocked by the presence of Ashley Williams and Aaron Ramsey. There was no way he would have been able to spot the trajectory of the ball until it had passed both Williams and Ramsey.
The fact that he got fingertips onto the ball reflects how close he was to actually saving it. In the end, one must credit Nainggolan for his perfectly timed strike and accept that Hennessey was beaten by the sheer pace of the shot.
3) Belgium’s inexperience at the back costs them dear
With Thomas Vermaelen suspended and Jan Vertonghen ruled out due to injury, Marc Wilmots had no choice but to start two inexperienced players at the back – Jason Denayer alongside Toby Alderweireld at centre-back and Romelu Lukaku’s brother Jordan at left-back.
They had managed to deal with the Welsh pressure pretty professionally until the 33rd minute, as opposition skipper Ashley Williams was left completely unmarked from a corner to direct a header into the net.
Gifting such free headers is considered a defensive shambles at this level. But with two new faces at the back, one could sympathise with Belgium and their lack of man-marking throughout the game. Sam Vokes’ header late in the game was also a result of poor defending, as Gunter’s cross evaded Denayer’s attempted clearance and Sam Vokes leapt ahead of Toby Alderweireld to win the aerial duel and beat Courtois.
4) Aaron Ramsey shines in midfield
If one man was instrumental in turning Wales’ fortunes around on Friday, it was none other than Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey. He chose the perfect night to respond to doubts about his ability as a big-game player – he was electric in the attacking third. His vision helped him pick his targets to perfection and his corner-kicks always threatened to unsettle a young Belgian defence. He ended the game with two assists – one for Ashley Williams’ leveller and the other for Hal Robson-Kanu’s excellent goal to put Wales 2-1 up.
Unfortunately, his performance was marred by a booking which will rule him out of Wednesday’s semi-final against Portugal due to an accumulation of yellow cards. Based on this performance, he is bound to be missed by the Welsh dugout.
5) Belgium’s big guns go missing when it really mattered
They might have got away with it once after the opening defeat to the Italians, but there was no hiding place for Belgium’s big guns for an insipid second half performance. Despite an impressive first 20 minutes, Belgium’s attackers switched off for most of the second half. Their steep decrease in tempo against an energetic Welsh side was shocking.
Kevin De Bruyne’s set-pieces were tame, Eden Hazard was failing to craft his way through the Welsh defence using his fleet-footedness and the number of chances Romelu Lukaku managed to fluff could not be counted with fingers on one hand. Yannick Carrasco was once again under-par, while the aerially strong Marouane Fellaini could not test goalkeeper Hennessey with his headers – most of them being off target.
If Belgium’s ‘golden generation’ wish to compete for major international trophies, their best players will have to show up in these knockout games and assert themselves on the pitch when the nation really needs them too. Marc Wilmots’ side have suffered two successive quarter-final exits in major tournaments. One waits to see whether they actually have the character and the mental emotion to get through these crunch situations and contest in tournament finals.
