Russia vs. Wales: Score and Twitter Reaction from Euro 2016

Wales qualified for the Euro 2016 knockout stages as Group B winners after defeating Russia 3-0 in Toulouse on Monday evening, while pool opponents England were held to a bore draw by Slovakia in Saint-Etienne. 

Aaron Ramsey chipped Wales into the lead before Neil Taylor kept the dream start going on the 20-minute mark, and high-flying Gareth Bale became the tournament's current top scorer with his third goal in three games.

Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images

Wales were cool and confident in what was a must-win encounter for their hopes of topping the pool, and after clinching a priority spot in the round of 16, the display bodes well for the rest of their tournament

While Russia were far from even competing en route to making their exit from the European Championship, Wales made history in smooth style, as emphasised by Men In Blazers:

It was clear from the first whistle that Russia, boasting just one win in their previous seven games, were lined up to attack against Wales, with Zenit St. Petersburg striker Artem Dzyuba leading their assault.

However, as manager Leonid Slutsky's side propelled forward up the field, they left the gap Joe Allen needed to cut a sensational through ball to Ramsey for an early opener.

Just 11 minutes in, the Arsenal playmaker steered his run at Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev and sent a delightful dink over the onrushing stopper from just inside the area, as shown by ITV Football:

Russia's commitments in attack were necessary considering they required three points to have any hopes of progressing in the tournament, but the inevitable downside was more space appearing for their opponents.

Left wing-back Taylor was the next to take advantage. After Akinfeev blocked his initial attempt, the Swansea City man made no mistake with his second effort. The Guardian's Stuart James noted this particular strike as the far more notable of the two he's netted in his professional career:

The onslaught eventually slowed, and Wales' attack relented until the half-time whistle, but the Dragons had their chances to be even further in front at the interval, such as this narrow miss from striker Sam Vokes:

ESPN FC's Mark Rodden further outlined that the Welsh deserved an even greater cushion, with Russia nowhere near their opponents in terms of threat on goal:

With England drawing 0-0 against Slovakia at half-time in their clash, Wales were top of Group B with 45 minutes remaining. Men In Blazers helped illustrate just how astonishing their against-the-odds story was:

Bale maintained his place as the team's main source of inspiration during the second half's early exchanges, and it was his forays into the opposition half that supplied the spearhead going forward.

The meeting was so one-sided at times, in fact, that German outlet DW Sports illustrated Akinfeev's plight:

It wasn't long after a Bale free-kick fizzed past the goalkeeper's right post that the winger made the desired impact, bamboozling the opposition's offside trap to chip Akinfeev for the second time on Monday evening.

Ramsey's pass across the box was left by Vokes, and the Real Madrid star took his time before lifting the ball over Akinfeev with his left boot in calm and collected fashion:

With three points in the bag, Wales manager Chris Coleman decided to preserve his forces, withdrawing midfielders Allen and Joe Ledley in place of Dave Edwards and Andy King.

Bale came off to a standing ovation with six minutes remaining at the Stadium Municipal de Toulouse, and Match of the Day questioned whether Wales' performance qualified as the best of Euro 2016 thus far:

A win over Russia was all Wales could do in their attempt to top Group B, and England's stalemate against Slovakia capped off a dream evening for the Dragons as a chorus of the Welsh national anthem serenaded the team off the pitch.

As winners of Group B, Coleman's Wales will face off against the best-ranked third-place team from either Group A, C or D, which will be Albania, Northern Ireland or Czech Republic, respectively, as things stand.

Post-Match Reaction

Thanassis Stavrakis/Associated Press

In their first-ever European Championship finals, not to mention their first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup, Wales' fairytale journey was prolonged on Monday after as clean a team display as they come.

Coleman spoke to ITV Football after the result in an attempt to summarise events, paying tribute to the fans who made the trip to Toulouse, France, as well as his "brave" players:

The former Fulham and Coventry City boss called the performance "even sweeter than the points," and if some were still in doubt as to whether Wales belonged among Europe's elite, they'll wonder no more.

On the other hand, it was a drastically more disappointing night for Slutsky, who could only apologise to his team's followers in the aftermath, per sports writer Glenn Moore:

The Russia chief, also currently serving as CSKA Moscow manager, was let down by his playing staff in a major way throughout this competition, and journalist Paul Eddison noted that the coach "more or less" resigned after the loss:

Monday was a night for the dark horse, as Wales not only took on the Russian legions and won but also leapfrogged England to top Group B, with Coleman's masterplan still running its course in France.