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Belgium national football team
European Championship | Qualifiers
Nov 16, 2014 at 5pm UK
 
Wales national football team

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Live Commentary: Belgium 0-0 Wales - as it happened

Read Sports Mole's live coverage to relive the Euro 2016 qualifier in Brussels as table-toppers Wales hang on for a crucial point against Group B favourites Belgium.
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Wales travelled to Belgium for their fourth Euro 2016 qualifier top of Group B and still unbeaten.

That record is still intact after they hung on for a valuable point against the group favourites, who remain three points behind Chris Coleman's side in the table.

Read how this evening's game in Brussels unfolded in our minute-by-minute updates below.


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Afternoon folks! This is one of nine Euro 2016 qualifiers today and arguably the tastiest as Wales take on Belgium. Let's get to the team news.

BELGIUM XI: Courtois; Vanden Borre, Alderweireld, Lombaerts, Vertonghen; Witsel, Fellaini, De Bruyne; Chadli, Hazard; Origi

WALES XI: Hennessey; Gunter, Chester, Williams, Taylor; Ledley, Allen; Cotterill, Ramsey, Bale; Robson-Kanu

Starting with the hosts, there's three changes to the side that beat Iceland 3-1 in an international friendly on Wednesday. Out go Premier League trio Moussa Dembele, Adnan Januzaj and Christian Benteke, with Kevin De Bruyne, Nacer Chadli and Divock Origi coming in.

Wales haven't been in action yet this international break, but they, like Belgium, have three changes from their last outing - a 2-1 win over Cyprus. Joe Allen and Aaron Ramsey are fit again, while David Cotterill also starts. Andy King is suspended after he was sent off against the Cypriots.

REFEREE WATCH! The officials this evening are from the Czech Republic, with 37-year-old Pavel Kralovec the main man with the whistle.

Looking at the Welsh team today, it's a near full-strength side that Chris Coleman has put out. The stars are Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey, but the return to fitness of Joe Allen is also a huge boost. The one area where the Welsh are a little light is in attack, with Sam Vokes and Simon Church both out injured. Hal Robson-Kanu, usually a winger, will lead the line, but expect much of the attacking impetus to come from Bale.

Wales forward Gareth Bale (C) celebrates with teammates forward Simon Church (R) and defender Lewin Nyatanga after scoring a goal during the Euro 2016 qualifying round match against Andorra on September 9, 2014© Getty Images

In fact, Bale and Ramsey have scored nine of Wales's last 10 goals on the road - a run dating back to October 2009. That just shows how important the duo are, especially away from home.



So Wales are nearly at full-strength, but what about the Belgians? Marc Wilmots's squad is certainly one filled with talent, but he is without his captain Vincent Kompany today because of a calf injury.

The toughest decision for Wilmots would have arguably been up front. He tends to only play one striker and has three excellent, powerful options at his disposal. This evening he's opted for Liverpool's Origi, currently on loan in France with former club Lille, over Romelu Lukaku of Everton and Aston Villa's Christian Benteke. Origi certainly overshadowed Lukaku at the World Cup, but the latter will still be disappointed not be his country's number-one option in attack.

With Kompany out, Southampton's Toby Alderweireld will play at centre-back for the home side. Usually a right-back for his country, he'll shift a bit more centrally and in Kompany's absence, maybe Jan Vertonghen will be the loudest voice of the Belgian back four. Here's the latter catching up with former Spurs teammate Bale.


While Wales have Bale, Belgium's superstar is without a doubt Eden Hazard. The Chelsea man has been in fine form for the Blues this year, completing more successful dribbles than any other player in Europe's top five leagues, according to WhoScored.com.

Interestingly, Hazard and Bale have been the subject of recent rumours suggesting that they could potentially swap clubs. Madrid are said to have expressed an interest in the Belgian, but who aren't they linked with?! Hazard has been quick to silence the reports.

So Hazard vs. Bale is one key battle today, but where else could this game be won and lost? Central midfield certainly looks interesting, with Ramsey and Allen up against the dynamic, powerful duo of Marouane Fellaini and Axel Witsel. Belgium should see more of the ball, but if Ramsey and Allen can break up play regularly, they might just be able to limit Belgium's chances.

H2H: These two teams know each other quite well as they were in the same group for World Cup 2014 qualifying. Belgium took four points from the two games in that campaign, beating them in Wales before being held to a 1-1 draw due to Ramsey's late equaliser last year. It's worth mentioning that the Red Devils' place in Brazil had already been confirmed. Expect a much more fired-up display today.

Belgium have won four and lost just one of their last seven clashes with Wales, while their recent form is just one defeat in their last 12 games, 10 of which have been victories. That one loss was to eventual finalists Argentina in the World Cup quarter-finals too.

Gonzalo Higuain of Argentina scores his team's first goal during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Quarter Final match against Belgium on July 5, 2014© Getty Images

Wales are in good form themselves, though, and certainly will fancy their chances of nicking something in Brussels. Coleman's men have suffered defeat just once in their last eight games, winning four and drawing three in the other seven.

Click here to see how Group B looks ahead of this match and the other games in Cyprus and Israel. As you can see, Wales are top of the group, but they could be third come later tonight. Israel and Belgium also have a game in-hand on Coleman's men.

Warming up ! #belwal #tousensemble

Een video die is geplaatst door Belgian Red Devils (@belgianreddevils) op


PREDICTION TIME! Just 10 minutes until kickoff at the Stade Roi Baudouin, so it's time for my pre-game prediction. If Wales can get anything out of this, it will be some achievement. I can't see them winning, but I think they'll push Belgium close and in the end it'll be 2-0 to the home side.

If Wales can prove me wrong and win tonight, it will be the first time since 2002 that they've won back-to-back competitive internationals away from home.

Great atmosphere inside the stadium as the Welsh national anthem is belted out by a large following. Thousands of Wales supporters have journeyed to Brussels - there's certainly worse places to have to visit to cheer on your country.

Wales captain Ashley Williams wins the coin toss and elects to stay on the same side so that they'll be kicking towards the away fans in the second half. The visitors are all in yellow this evening as Belgium play in red.

KICKOFF! Belgium get us underway!

Early on it looks as if Bale will be playing as the main striker, not Robson-Kanu, who is out on the left. Ramsey is pushing and pressing the Belgians very high.

Chadli does really well to dig out a cross from the right byline after surging past Taylor. His centre takes a slight deflection and loops up, making it easy for Gunter to head away.

Hazard showcases his dribbling ability for the first time, wriggling away from three Wales players before rolling it into Origi. He then finds Chadli on the right but the move breaks down as the Spurs man overhits his cross.

Ramsey is so close going clean through on goal! Bale uses the outside of his foot and puts the perfect weight on his pass into the Arsenal man. Vertonghen is alert though and slides in to nick the ball away.

Really encouraging couple of minutes for Wales. They've been seeing quite a bit of the ball in and around the Belgian penalty area. It certainly looks like they'll be able to create chances tonight.

Chester with a really, really important header to flick it away from the incoming Fellaini behind him. It was a lovely cross from Hazard that was begging to be headed home at the back post.

Lombaerts with a high foot on Ramsey and that gives Wales a free kick in a really inviting position that Bale will certainly fancy...

SAVE! It's a great hit from the Real Madrid man and Courtois makes an equally good save. Ramsey follows it up but can't quite meet it.

From the resulting corner, Belgium break quickly and have their first shot through Hazard, who once again danced his way past several challenges before firing a cross-cum-shot that Hennessey gathered.

Early on, Belgium have had a little over 60% of the ball. That's not too bad for Wales and surely the sort of possession they would have been expecting.

Bale times his run to beat the offside trap, but Ramsey's pass is just a bit heavy and Courtois gets there first. Expect to see Bale making that run a lot tonight.

CHANCE! Stunning football by the home side and they have the first big chance of the match through Chadli. The Spurs man was played in on goal by a lovely flick from Origi but then denied by a fantastic Hennessey save.

OFF THE POST! It's all Belgium at the moment and they won't come closer than this without scoring tonight. It's a fabulous effort from centre-back Lombaerts as he swivels in the box and rifles a strike against the inside of the post. It comes back out and Origi can only poke it wide at full stretch.

Hazard is the star of the show so far. He's been lovely to watch on the ball and just breezed past Taylor before firing in a low cross that Williams did superbly well to put out for a corner.

BOOKING! Ledley is the first man cautioned after leading with his arm to challenge for an aerial ball with Witsel. It's also given Belgium a free kick in a great position. Can Hazard do better than Bale?

The Chelsea winger's effort goes straight into the wall. Bale 1-0 Hazard on the best free-kick count so far. Still 0-0 in the game.

From the resulting corner, De Bruyne's delivery is a good one that is flicked wide of the far post. Wales certainly need to start seeing a bit more of the ball in Belgium's half as they've been pegged back for the last 20 minutes or so.

Wales successfully quieten down Belgium for a few minutes. If they can get to half time with the score still goalless they will have done well.

Bale does well down the right to get in a cross that has to be hoofed out for a corner. Cotterill's delivery is a pretty good one, but Courtois is so good in the air and plucks it out of the sky.

SHOT! Hazard wins a free kick after another zig-zaggy run. He doesn't take the free kick, though, leaving it to De Bruyne, whose effort is a good one that isn't quite close enough to the corner to really trouble Hennessey.

HALF-TIME: BELGIUM 0-0 WALES

Goalless at the break then and Wales will certainly take that. Apart from a vicious Bale free kick, they've offered very little.

Here's a great shot of Bale striking that 14th-minute effort. He got it up and over the wall with plenty of dip and swerve, but Courtois was equal to it.

Wales's Gareth Bale hits a free kick during the Group B Euro 2016 qualifying match against Belgium at the King Baudouin stadium in Brussels, on November 16, 2014© AFP

If you're just joining us and want a brief summary of the opening 45, you could do a lot worse than our half-time report.

Belgium certainly had their chances and have done everything but score so far. Chadli was denied by a superb Hennessey save before Lombaerts fantastic effort on the turn came back off the inside of the post. If Wales can leave Brussels with a point, it will be some achievement.

Elsewhere in Group B, Cyprus are cruising past Andorra, they lead 3-0 at the break. If things stay as they are, Belgium will fall behind the Cypriots. Israel and Bosnia-Herzegovina meet at 7.45pm GMT later on.

WALES SUB: Coleman makes a change at the break, taking off Cotterill for George Williams.

KICKOFF! And the visitors get us back underway in Brussels. Can Wales hold out for an impressive point?

One thing Wales can't do is make mistakes, but they've already made two careless ones in the second half. First Hennessey wastefully gave a goal kick straight to the Belgians before Williams's loose pass went to Hazard, who drove at the area and had his low shot easily held by Hennessey.

Williams impresses with his first burst forward, gliding by Vertonghen before failing to find Robson-Kanu or Bale with his pass inside.

Lombaerts can't contort his body enough to meet De Bruyne's corner well and is only able to head it high over the top.

Swansea left-back Taylor with a rare surge forward down the wing. There's yellow shirts in the box too, but he can't find one as his dinked cross is too high for Ramsey.

Wales are going to have chances on the counter-attack as Belgium push more men forward in search of the opener. They almost create a chance, but Ramsey's through-ball for Bale is cut out.

JUST WIDE! That's what I mean! It's the first time that Bale has had the chance to really run at the Belgian backline and his left-foot effort from a tight angle zips just past the post. So close!

Good play again from Bale as this time he charges down the right wing before crossing low into the middle where Alderweireld is able to hack it clear. It's a really open game at the moment!

Wales are having their best spell of the match and now have a second free kick in a position that Bale will want to shoot from. It's not quite so central, so he may cross it...

Once again Bale is able to get it up and down over the wall and on target. Courtois is equal to it, though. It would have been something special had he scored from that angle.

BELGIUM SUB: Belgium with two out-and-out strikers as Benteke replaces Chadli, who had been enjoying quite a good game. Really surprising to see that Lukaku is now third-choice for his country.

Hazard is again impressive with his close control as he travels from one side of the area to the other without being dispossessed. He's been the best player by a mile so far.

Eden Hazard of Belgium runs at Chris Gunter of Wales during the Group B UEFA European Championship 2016 Qualifier match on November 16, 2014© Getty Images

Ramsey tees up a teammate for a shooting opportunity. Unfortunately, it's left-back Taylor hitting it with his weaker right foot. The goal was hardly in danger.

Nasty forearm to Allen's face from Fellaini. That was completely out of order and he's really lucky that it wasn't spotted by the officials. Allen is receiving treatment and could have broken his nose by the looks of things.

Maybe it was just a nose bleed. Liverpool midfielder Allen is back on the pitch with a quarter of the game to go.

It opens up for De Bruyne 25 yards from goal but he drags his shot well wide of the near post. Will Belgium start getting desperate soon? They have a great target man in Benteke if they start lumping it long. Origi has pulled out to the right, by the way.

OH DEAR! Hazard may have been the best player today, but there's no need for what he's just done. After getting to the byline, he tried a rabona with the cross but didn't connect properly to gift Wales a goal kick. Stupid boy.



BOOKING! Allen is booked for a bodycheck on Hazard as Belgium looked to break after a weak shot from Williams at the other end.

BELGIUM SUB: Napoli's Dries Mertens is on for the Red Devils, replacing Origi on the right.

Instant impact by Mertens as he flicks the ball into the path of Benteke, who can't quite bring the ball under control and get off a shot.

Less than 15 minutes to go now and Wales are getting closer and closer to a huge result. Weirdly, I think they have as good a chance scoring now as they have had at any time in the game. With Bale's pace and skill up front, they could be lethal on the counter.

Mertens skies a difficult volley after Williams was only able to clear the ball as far as the winger. He's certainly been involved since coming on.

Vanden Borre seems to be going nowhere but does well to win a corner for the home side. Mertens's delivery is a good one that Benteke meets, but Chester is challenging well and does enough to put him off.

Vertonghen has plenty of space to weigh it up and deliver a cross from the left. Benteke is up and ready to head at goal but teammate Fellaini gets in his way by also challenging for the ball.

Bale is livid with the Czech referee for not awarding him a free kick after Vanden Borre had clearly shoved him to the ground. Benteke has a free header that Hennessey somehow saves, but it was offside.

SAVE! Out of nowhere, Wales have a chance as Bale's clever flick finds Robson-Kanu, whose low strike is parried by Courtois.

BOOKING! George Williams clatters into Mertens and that is a really nasty clash of heads. Kralovec books the Welsh player but that's pretty harsh as he didn't lead with an arm or anything like that.

Mertens certainly came off worse there and it looks like he'll have to come off. Manchester United's Adnan Januzaj is being readied on the touchline.

Mertens is still being attended to just outside the Belgian penalty area. This will cause at least five minutes of injury time I would have thought. It's one of those where Williams maybe shouldn't have gone for it as he was never going to beat Mertens to the ball.

BELGIUM SUB: Mertens is at last carried off on a stretcher. Januzaj on.

It's SIX added minutes that we will play in Brussels. Plenty of time for either side to grab a winner.

Superb from Bale as he wins a header before winning his side a throw-in down the left. Valuable time wasted.

CLOSE! Neat play on the edge of the box from Benteke and Hazard before Januzaj's cross-cum-shot across the six-yard box is cleared from under his own crossbar by Chester.

BOOKING! Hennessey took his time, too much time, with a free kick and is cautioned for time-wasting.

Bale goes for the spectacular from 30 yards and slices it almost out for a corner. That will give the visitors the chance to make a time-wasting change - Robson-Kanu off, Emyr Huws on.

Into the final minute then and Hennessey has the ball after reaching up high to claim Januzaj's deflected cross.

Corner to Belgium...

WHAT A SAVE! Hennessey with a marvellous stop to surely earn Wales a point.

FULL-TIME: BELGIUM 0-0 WALES

What a huge point that is for Wales. They stay top of the group and crucially prevent Belgium from gaining three. Some save at the death from Hennessey as he clawed Benteke's close-range header away.

Wales stay top of the group and will only be displaced if Israel beat Bosnia-Herzegovina at home a little later.

As you can see from our tweet below, Wales now have two wins and two draws this campaign. What a great start they've made.


Anyway, time for us to say goodbye. Thanks for joining us for the action in Brussels. Stick around for plenty of reaction and more Euro 2016 action tonight!

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Gareth Bale appeals for a foul during Wales's match with Finland on November 16, 2013.
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Group A

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Q Germany Germany32107
Q Switzerland Switzerland31205
3 Hungary Hungary31023
4 Scotland flag Scotland30121

Group B

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Q Spain Spain33009
Q Italy Italy31114
3 Croatia Croatia30212
4 Albania national flag Albania30121

Group C

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Q England flag England31205
Q Denmark Denmark30303
Q Slovenia Slovenia30303
4 Serbia Serbia30212

Group D

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Q Austria Austria32016
Q France France31205
Q Netherlands Netherlands31114
4 Poland Poland30121

Group E

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Q Romania Romania31114
Q Belgium Belgium31114
Q Slovakia Slovakia31114
4 Ukraine Ukraine31114

Group F

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Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Turkey Turkey32016
Q Georgia Georgia31114
4 Czech Republic Czech Republic30121


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