Wales vs. Belgium: Score, Grades and Reaction from Euro 2016 Qualifier

It was a historic night for Welsh football, as Gareth Bale and his team-mates defeated the artistry of Belgium, winning 1-0 in Cardiff. 

The Belgians had much of the possession on the night, but it was the desire of Wales that dragged them over the line, with a heroic defensive performance. 

Wales tried to involve Bale from the very first minute as his teammates looked for the Galactico. But it was the Belgians who settled fastest, as Christian Benteke went close in the opening moments. 

Chris Coleman reacted with a quick tactical change, switching Bale to the opposite wing to face Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen. And the attacker had an immediate impact on the right, forcing a corner.

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But Belgium began to retain the ball, with Eden Hazard becoming more involved, and it seemed they would soon break the deadlock as they probed and moved.

BBC Radio 5 Live's Robbie Savage criticised the home team and offered his expert advice, per BBC Sport:

"

Wales' players have been guilty of giving poor possession away. A nervous start. Is the big occasion getting to a few of these players? Wales are struggling in midfield. The formation has to change to 4-3-3 with one of Aaron Ramsey or Gareth Bale dropping in.

"

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However, the Welsh stabilised and found themselves on the attack. And against the run of play, it was the home team that snatched a surprise lead, with Bale scoring the vital goal. 

A mistake by Radja Nainggolan let Bale in, and the Real Madrid superstar controlled with ease and slotted the ball away to gain the advantage after 23 minutes. 

Bleacher Report UK shared the moment of Bale's assured finish:

Savage once again commented, praising Bale's finish, per BBC Sport:

"

Good finish? It was a great finish! A terrible defensive mistake, a header back to the keeper and Gareth Bale, back to goal and, cool, calm and calculated, hits the ball between Courtois's legs. That is why he is the most expensive player in the world. I have no idea what Radja Nainggolan was doing, though.

"

Squawka.com highlighted the goal on an appearance milestone for the attacking genius:

The Belgians patiently started their game again and drove Wales back into their own third, but the home team appeared comfortable in defence. 

And it was Bale and Co. who took the lead into half-time, leaving their European counterparts frustrated and scratching their heads, with the Cardiff crowd giving their boys a standing ovation as they left the pitch. 

Sports correspondent Tom Williams gave his opinion at half-time, praising the Welsh effort:

As expected, the Belgians came out for the second half motivated and primed, bringing on the intimidating presence of Romelu Lukaku.

The Everton man linked well with Benteke and Kevin De Bruyne in attack, with Belgium attacking with power and pace. Hazard had a penalty appeal turned down after 55 minutes, as it seemed inevitable an equaliser would soon come.

But the Welsh held firm and resisted much of the pressure—with the crowd in a vocally dominant mood—giving the team a 12th man. 

David Rogers/Getty Images

Bale still looked like Wales' most likely, as the winger looked to counter-attack, but Belgium continued to force their opponents back into their own box as they popped the ball around with skill and panache. 

With time ticking down, players collapsed with cramp and exhaustion, with Bale being substituted in the final moments to rapturous cheers.

Belgium attempted to grab the draw in the dying seconds as they piled into the box, but the night belonged to Wales and their mercurial attacker from the Bernabeu. 

Relevant Player Grades

Gareth Bale: A-

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Considering the former Spurs player has been berated for his average displays this year, he played the part of hero on Friday night, often marauding forward as a one-man army.

Bale was in exceptional form against Belgium and was the undeniable key to victory.

Christian Benteke: C

It was a strange night for the Aston Villa man, who had a great end to his Premier League campaign but was largely anonymous as the Welsh sat deep.

Benteke struggles when teams park the bus, with the player lacking invention and mobility when faced with a defensive wall.

Eden Hazard: C

He was involved in much of Belgium's play but was never as influential as he is in a Chelsea shirt. He looked off the pace as the game progressed and clearly needs a holiday after an electric season.

Post Match Reaction

Wales boss Chris Coleman waxed lyrical after the match, but says he believes bigger hurdles face his team in the games to come, per Dafydd Pritchard of BBC Wales Sport:

"

That was the biggest win but I believe there's a bigger one coming in this campaign. I don't know when it will be. It will be the one which says we're going to France. We're embracing the pressure. We're top of the group now with four games to go. The players and fans deserve to enjoy it because they've come through a lot, but there's a lot more to go through yet.

"

Wales resume their European Championship campaign in September, with a home fixture against Cyprus, and an away day in Israel.