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

Wales continued their Cinderella run with a 3-1 win over Belgium during Friday's UEFA Euro 2016 quarter-finals, outsmarting the Red Devils at every turn.

Radja Nainggolan gave Belgium a deserved early lead, but Wales rebounded well from the setback and tied things up through Ashley Williams. 

Belgium started the second half with attacking intent, but Hal Robson-Kanu put the Dragons ahead just before the hour mark. Belgium's late pressure amounted to little, and Sam Vokes made it 3-1 just before full-time to end the contest.

As shared by the Red Devils' official Twitter account, Jordan Lukaku and Jason Denayer replaced Jan Vertonghen and Thomas Vermaelen in the starting XI:

OptaJean noticed Belgium's starting XI was particularly young:

Belgium took control of the ball early, and Thomas Meunier nearly picked out Romelu Lukaku with an ambitious ball over the top.

Joe Ledley was booked just five minutes into the contest, as Wales struggled to deal with persistent pressure from the Red Devils.

Meanwhile, Bleacher Report UK gave a weather update:

Belgium came agonisingly close to an early lead after just seven minutes, but goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey produced a superb save to deny Yannick Carrasco from close range, and two follow-up efforts were also blocked.

Wales sat back and aimed for the counter-attack, and Gareth Bale fired his team's first chance into the side netting after solid defending from Toby Alderweireld.

PHILIPPE HUGUEN/Getty Images

Belgium were in control, however, and they took a deserved lead after 13 minutes. The Welsh defence gave the Red Devils far too much space, and Nainggolan launched an absolute bomb from long range, beating Hennessey at his near post.

Bleacher Report UK's Sam Tighe thought it might have been a bad idea to give him that much space:

The early setback forced Wales to come out of their shell, but Belgium's inexperienced defence was barely troubled in the first 20 minutes. Wales took over possession, but their long passing moves didn't lead to any immediate danger.

Thibaut Courtois had to make a vital save after 25 minutes, however, as the Belgian defence was caught napping after a foul on Nainggolan wasn't given and Neil Taylor couldn't convert from close range.

Sport Witness was enjoying the action:

Wales' confidence appeared to grow, and while chances remained few, an equaliser became more and more likely. Just before the half-hour mark, the Belgian defence left Williams wide open on a corner, and the captain easily powered home a header to tie things up.

The Belgian Waffle blamed Jordan Lukaku:

"

Was about to tweet I was worried about Jordan Lukaku. Well...

— The Belgian Waffle (@TheBelgianWffle) July 1, 2016"

Belgium had taken their foot off the gas ahead of the goal, and they now started attacking with numbers again. Carrasco nearly picked out Romelu Lukaku in front of goal, while Bale forced Courtois into a routine save on the counter.

The pace of the match dropped toward the end of the half, although Wales continued to threaten from set pieces, as communication issues seemed to plague the Belgians. De Bruyne tried to imitate team-mate Nainggolan shortly before half-time, but his strike missed the target completely.

PAUL ELLIS/Getty Images

Robson-Kanu headed the final chance of the half into the arms of Courtois, and the official blew the whistle for half-time immediately afterward.

Marouane Fellaini was introduced at half-time in favour of Carrasco, with De Bruyne moving to the right wing. 

The decision wasn't popular with fans and pundits alike. La Liga blogger Rafael Hernandez put it this way:

Romelu Lukaku had a golden opportunity to reclaim the lead after just two minutes, as Meunier lobbed another cross into the box, but the Everton man angled his header just wide of the post. De Bruyne tried his luck with another strike from distance, but he too couldn't get his shot on target.

Belgium continued their fast start, and Eden Hazard went close with a low strike, curling his shot wide of the goal. 

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But while the Welsh defence appeared to struggle, one quick counter unlocked Belgium's defence once again. Robson-Kanu was given far too much space to control the ball inside the box, and he produced a fantastic turn to find space before easily slotting the ball past Courtois.

Football writer Sid Lowe was impressed:

Belgium were shocked, and even more space opened up for Wales. The Red Devils searched for creativity in the attacking third but came up empty, and a poor free-kick from De Bruyne fired straight at Hennessey summed up their struggles.

Just about every set-piece opportunity also produced danger for Wales, although Williams was unable to keep his volley on target in one instance.

VI-Images/Getty Images

De Bruyne nearly found Romelu Lukaku with a squared pass after a great feed from Nainggolan, and Fellaini came agonisingly close to the equaliser, heading just wide. 

Axel Witsel fired a wild shot over the bar, and Aaron Ramsey ran into a booking late, meaning he would miss out on the semi-final against Portugal if Wales advanced.

Many weren't happy when they found out, including Sport Witness:

Michy Batshuayi also made his way on the pitch, as Belgium grew desperate in the final 10 minutes. Nainggolan wanted a penalty after a defender planted his studs on his foot, but the ball had already passed, and a spot-kick would have been harsh.

With five minutes left to play, substitute Vokes took away Belgium's final hopes with a powerful header, booking Wales' spot in the semi-finals, where they'll meet Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal on July 6.

Post-Match Reaction

As shared by broadcaster Deji Kofi Faremi, Wales manager Chris Coleman was over the moon with the win:

The Welsh fully deserved their spot in the semi-finals, where they'll face Portugal without the suspended Ramsey. It's a big blow to the Dragons' chances of reaching the final, although Portugal have been far from their best and will provide Wales with the kind of opportunities they saw against Belgium.