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The Guardian
9 hours ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
‘It's about belief': Craig Bellamy hails Wales's spirit despite defeat in Belgium
Craig Bellamy said Wales's stirring comeback, despite Kevin De Bruyne inflicting the first defeat of his tenure in a seven-goal epic in Belgium, is evidence of his team's changed mindset. The Wales manager said that he played in hope across his career but now recognises belief in his squad. Bellamy praised his players after they roused from 3-0 down to draw level at 3-3 before De Bruyne snatched victory in the 88th minute. Wales trailed 3-0 inside 27 minutes after Romelu Lukaku's penalty and strikes by Youri Tielemans and Jérémy Doku. But the visitors pulled a goal back before half-time when Harry Wilson converted a penalty and second-half goals from Sorba Thomas and Brennan Johnson helped Bellamy's side earn parity. Asked what he said to his players after the game, the 45-year-old said: 'I thanked them because they've given me something I never had in international football – belief. You've seen 5,500 fans here – the most we've taken away, apart from maybe England across the border – because they believe. I believe. In international football I had 70-odd caps [Bellamy won 78 caps as a player] where I didn't believe. It was hope. I don't want to live on hope. It's the hope that kills you. It's [about] belief. Can we come here and win? Three-nil down, still believing? It's crazy.' Bellamy promised that his team would not 'camp' in Brussels and, despite a dreadful start, they came within minutes of a valuable point in Group J. 'It was like: 'We told you you'd be able to play here.' I'd rather try something great and fail than do nothing and succeed. I've always been that way. I might not be great at anything but I'll try to be. It means more. I liked that. What can we do here? 'I said I wasn't coming to sit back, it's not in my nature, don't do it … it's not who we are. So for me it was: can we come to a top-eight team in the world then and come and play? 'Before we've played here and it has been a different Wales. You have the ball, we sit deep – to change a mindset is completely different. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion 'You need these types of tests. I know it's a loss and listen, it's not valiant Wales, no, it's a loss, I don't like it but also … if you're going to give me a loss, give me this loss.'
The Sun
11 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Belgium 4 Wales 3: De Bruyne breaks Welsh hearts after thrilling three-goal comeback and controversial VAR farce
KEVIN DE BRUYNE broke Wales hearts on a night of World Cup qualifying chaos in Belgium. The out-going Manchester City star scored an 88th-minute winner to inflict Craig Bellamy's first defeat as Dragons boss and dent their automatic qualification hopes. 10 But where do you start to sum up this seven-goal thriller - which included an epic three-goal comeback by Wales - which was dominated by several poor refereeing decisions and lengthy VAR checks? There were two first-half penalties awarded by referee Irfan Peljto - one for each side and both looked harsh - before Romelu Lukaku had a goal ruled out by VAR in the 80th minute because the ball went out of play in the build-up. On a night of mayhem in Brussels, the Dragons fell 3-0 down inside 27 minutes through goals by Lukaku from the penalty spot, Youri Tielemans and Jeremy Doku as the hosts ran riot in the first half. Spirited Wales came roaring back through goals from Harry Wilson, Sorba Thomas and Brennan Johnson. Yet De Bruyne had the final say with a classy finish when the star midfielder was left unmarked at the back post. It left the visitors floored as Bellamy tasted a loss for the first time in ten matches since he became boss last July. Wales now trail North Macedonia by a point in Group J in their quest to reach the finals in USA, Mexico and Canada next summer with the Belgians only three points behind with two games in hand. To compound Bellamy's frustrations, the 45-year-old, who spent two years at Anderlecht, is due to return to Belgium for a friend's wedding later this week. Pre-match, Bellamy had hailed his first 12 months in the Wales job as the "best year" of his life. But, after Spurs legend Jan Vertonghen received a heartfelt farewell from the Belgian public, Bellamy's Dragons were left furious by the award of Lukaku's 15th-minute penalty. World Cup winner and one-club legend rolls back the years with stunning goal from halfway line De Bruyne's shot hit the arm of Brennan Johnson from a short distance but Bosnian ref Peljto pointed to the spot. A lengthy VAR check did not overturn what looked to be a harsh decision and Napoli striker Lukaku slotted home his 89th international goal. Wales were rocked and failed to recover as Belgium cut them to ribbons in a dangerous attacking display. Tielemans doubled the hosts' lead on 19 minutes when the Aston Villa midfielder, captain for the night, hit the top corner with a side-footed finish. It was a slick team move from Rudi Garcia's men with De Bruyne, Leandro Trossard and Maxim de Cuyper involved before Tielemans was left unmarked to beat Karl Darlow. Wales almost halved the deficit instantly but David Brooks missed a glorious chance before Ben Davies forced Nottingham Forest keeper Matz Sels into a scrambling save. De Bruyne rolled an effort past the post but Manchester City wideman Doku made no mistake when he cut in on his left foot and fired past Darlow despite the Leeds stopper getting a hand to his shot. Wales, who had never won on Belgian soil, were handed a lifeline on the stroke of half-time when Sels was deemed to foul Chris Mepham when he clattered into the defender trying to punch a high ball away. It appeared another harsh call by ref Peljto and Wilson scored from the spot by sending Sels the wrong way for his 14th Dragons goal. Trossard and Lukaku wasted chances to put the game to bed and Wales netted a second on 51 minutes when Wilson set up Thomas to slot home. Wales were in dreamland when Johnson headed home from Thomas' centre before De Bruyne scored his 31st Belgium goal in his final act before he was substituted to crush Bellamy and Co. 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
The Independent
21 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Belgium vs Wales Prediction: Red Devils to Land First Win of Qualifying Campaign
Belgium to win & both teams to score - 9/4 William Hill Romelu Lukaku to score anytime - 20/21 Bet365 Wales travel to Brussels on Monday night to face Belgium in the toughest match of their World Cup qualifying campaign so far, with Craig Bellamy's side looking to build on the positive result against Liechtenstein (BBC One, 7.45pm). Wales ran out 3-0 winners against the minnows last week thanks to goals from Joe Rodon, Harry Wilson and Kieffer Moore, and that result put them top of Group J. Belgium began their own campaign late after Nations League commitments but they got off to a poor start against North Macedonia, being held to a 1-1 away from home last week. But it's the fixtures against Belgium that could well come to define Wales' qualifying campaign, with the Red Devils clearly the toughest opponents in a group that also contains Kazakhstan. And despite a negative first result in the group, Belgium are the early favourites with betting sites, with Rudi Garcia's side offered at 9/20 to win the match versus 11/2 shots Wales. Belgium vs Wales Betting Preview: Bellamy's Unbeaten Start Under The Microscope It's no surprise football betting sites are heavily in favour of the hosts given the talent in the Belgium squad, which includes notable names like Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku. However, last week's draw with North Macedonia was just the latest in a series of disappoining results for the Red Devils, who have won two of the last 11 games. Belgium have kept just one clean sheet in their last 10 games, in a run that includes losses to Israel and Ukraine, so Wales can certainly hurt the Red Devils tonight. At the same time, Wales have scored in all but three of their last 10 matches, winning five – including their own 1-1 draw against North Macedonia. So while Belgium are deserving of their favourites tag, it might not be as straightforward as originally thought for the Red Devils. To that end, a good option could be to pair a home win with both teams to score, which pays out at 9/4 on some betting apps, including William Hill. Belgium vs Wales Tips: Lukaku Still The Dangerman Lukaku remains the main danger man for Belgium, with 88 goals in 122 game across his international career. The 32-year-old didn't manage to find the net against North Macedonia last time out and sat out several of his side's Nations League matches in recent months, though he remains tasked with carrying the goalscoring burden as striker. And in recent more high-stakes games, Lukaku has continued to deliver for his country, scoring three times in two matches against Ukraine to turn the tide of their Nations League relegation play-off. Lukaku also finished the club season with two goals in the last three matches as Napoli won the Serie A title, so he's in decent goalscoring form at present. And with that in mind, we're backing Lukaku to score anytime, which is offered at 20/21 with Bet365. Belgium vs Wales free bets Betfred are running a money back offer for Monday's World Cup qualifier, giving punters 50 per cent of their stake back in free bets on losing bet builders. Just put together a bet builder for Belgium vs Wales that has at least four legs and combined odds of 3/1 or greater to qualifiy for the offer. If the bet builder doesn't win, Betfred will refund 50 per cent of all stakes in free bets, up to a maximum return of £5. When having a bet, it's vital to practice responsible gambling. When using gambling sites be aware that sports betting can be addictive. Please take steps to remain in control of your time and budget. The same applies whether you're using new betting sites, slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, betting apps, or any other gambling medium. Even the most knowledgeable punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses. It's particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets or casino offers you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution. You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs. You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having:
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rudi Garcia labels Belgium's World Cup qualifier with Wales a must win game
Belgium and Wales will face each other on Monday night in what Rudi Garcia has labelled a must win game for the Red Devils. Belgium started their World Cup qualification campaign with a disappointing 1-1 draw against North Macedonia. Their Welsh opponents are currently top of Group J, although they have played three games. Craig Bellamy's side have won two and drawn one of their matches so far. As reported by HLN, Garcia said to the media pre match 'Wales are a close competitor for a place in the World Cup – so we have to win, especially in a home game'. The Red Devils are in a pretty poor run of form. the side have only won one of their previous eight games, with the draw against North Macedonia being one of the two matches they have not lost. Belgium have not lost to Wales since the famous European Championship Quarter Final in which Hal Robson-Kanu's fantastic goal knocked heavy favourites Belgium out. Advertisement Defeat to Wales on Monday will certainly cause concern for Belgian fans and players, given that winning the group is the only way to guarantee a spot in the 2026 World Cup. GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson
Asharq Al-Awsat
3 days ago
- Sport
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Belgium Coach Shows Faith in Shaky Defense
Belgium's defense came in for criticism after giving away a late equalizer to North Macedonia in their World Cup qualifier on Friday but coach Rudi Garcia said he had to show faith in them ahead of their next clash against Wales on Monday. Belgian media and commentators said the team were fortunate to come away with a point from their opening Group J fixture, even though they led for most of the game in Skopje. Hosts North Macedonia twice struck the woodwork and had a strike ruled out by VAR before grabbing an 86th-minute goal to draw 1-1. Garcia, in only his third match in charge, said he wanted to show trust in his defenders for the clash against Wales in Brussels. 'It's a matter of trust. Our defenders need that. I don't want to point fingers at them because we also have to be able to bring more offensively. We have the qualities for that,' he told reporters. Garcia said he did not feel he needed to adjust his defense, which in March conceded three goals to Ukraine in the Nations League promotion-relegation playoff. 'That's not necessary. Like I said it's a matter of trust for our defense. You can't solve that by adjusting the system.' Belgium are heavily fancied to take the automatic qualification berth for the group winners but Wales have taken the early lead in the group with seven points from their opening three matches. Garcia said there were several reasons for Belgium's mediocre showing in Skopje. 'The heat was one of them. But when you're 1-0 up, you can't give it up. It didn't go well. We made the wrong decision far too often with the last pass.' There were also questions about Garcia's changes, after he took out captain Thomas Meunier and talisman Kevin De Bruyne early in the second half. 'It's also a physical issue. And there's also quality on the bench. I substituted Meunier because he already had a yellow card and I need him on Monday against Wales because I only have one right back. 'As for De Bruyne, I also thought about Monday's match. Playing 90 minutes twice in three days is a lot at this stage of the competition. Incidentally, I thought that we regained control after the substitutions due to our physical superiority,' Garcia added.
