Kevin de Bruyne scored two penalty goals as Belgium made an important step towards qualifying for the World Cup by beating Wales 4-2 on October 13.
Rudi Garcia’s team fell behind after Joe Rodon scored an early goal at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Kevin De Bruyne scored a goal from a penalty kick, tying the game. Then, Thomas Meunier scored another goal for Belgium, putting them in the lead before the end of the first half.
Kevin De Bruyne scored another penalty goal in the final moments of the match, but Nathan Broadhead managed to pull one back for the home team.
Leandro Trossard dashed Wales’ chances of a thrilling comeback as Belgium took the lead in Group J.
World Cup Qualifying Group J Standings
Belgium is currently leading the standings, sitting one point ahead of North Macedonia, which is in second place. Recently, North Macedonia played against Kazakhstan and the match ended in a 1-1 tie on October 13.
If they win either of their last two games in November against Kazakhstan or Liechtenstein, they will definitely secure a spot in the next round.
Wales’ national soccer team, known as the Red Devils, has been on an impressive winning streak in qualifying matches. They haven’t lost any games for the World Cup or the European Championship in 46 matches, with their last defeat happening back in 2015 when Gareth Bale led Wales to a surprising victory against them.
Wales is currently in third place and missed an opportunity to get closer to qualifying for next year’s tournament, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Craig Bellamy’s team is currently four points behind Belgium in the standings. Both teams still have two games left to play, while North Macedonia has just one game remaining.
Match Analysis and Key Moments
Belgium played to a scoreless draw against North Macedonia at home on October 10. This result gave Wales a chance to take control of their own path to the World Cup.
Wales realised that if they won their last three games, they would secure a spot in the World Cup.
They have a chance to reach the playoffs if they can catch up to Belgium in the standings. Their next game is away in Liechtenstein, followed by a home match against North Macedonia.
“We knew we had to win. We were on a roll, but when they got the penalty, it gave them a boost, and even the energy from the crowd seemed to fade,” Bellamy said.
“I don’t have any issues with the second penalty. However, the first one was confusing. What are we supposed to do with our hands in that situation? I’m not just bitter about it.”
“We didn’t earn it back then. We needed to respond, but they handled the situation better during that time. It may not make us feel any better, but let’s focus on getting the next six points.”
How the Wales vs Belgium Match Unfolded
Wales lost to Belgium in a thrilling match in Brussels in June, with Kevin De Bruyne scoring the winning goal right at the end. The final score was 4-3.
Once again, the Napoli player showed that they are a difficult opponent.
Wales got off to an impressive start, and their efforts paid off in the eighth minute. Leeds defender Joe Rodon took advantage of Belgium’s poor defense by jumping high to head the ball into the goal after a corner kick from Sorba Thomas.
Controversial First Half Penalty
However, unexpectedly, Belgium got a chance to turn things around in the 18th minute.
Charles De Ketelaere took a powerful shot from a distance that struck Ethan Ampadu’s arm while they were in the penalty area.
Ampadu barely moved his arm away from his body, but the referee, Daniel Siebert, decided to give a penalty after looking at the video replay. Kevin De Bruyne then confidently took the penalty kick and managed to trick the goalkeeper, Karl Darlow, by shooting in the opposite direction.
Meunier’s Goal Puts Belgium Ahead
If the first goal scored by the visiting team sparked some debate, there was no doubt about the quality of their second goal, which happened in the 24th minute.
Thomas was caught off guard while Jeremy Doku made a fantastic run down the right side, finding plenty of open space. Doku then sent a low cross into the penalty area, putting pressure on the Welsh defense.
Meunier made a great run and skillfully scored a goal by sending the ball past Darlow from a tricky position.
De Bruyne Seals the Win from the Spot
Bellamy made a daring choice by leaving Brennan Johnson out of the starting lineup because he hadn’t been performing well lately. However, when Belgium started to take control of the game, Bellamy decided to bring Johnson onto the field in the 58th minute, hoping to spark some much-needed energy and creativity for his team.
Johnson is best known for an unusual moment during a game when he helped to remove a rat that scurried onto the field, stopping the game for a short time.
As the traitor abandoned Wales’ struggling team, Bellamy’s players were defeated in the 76th minute of the match.
Jordan James made an unnecessary mistake when he touched the ball in the penalty area after Trossard’s pass. As a result, Kevin De Bruyne confidently scored a penalty kick, putting the ball into the net.
Late Goals from Broadhead and Trossard
In the final moments of the match, Broadhead scored a goal from just outside the penalty area after Kieffer Moore took the ball from Trossard. This goal set the stage for an exciting ending to the game.
Trossard quickly turned things around just moments later by scoring a goal for Arsenal. He found the net after receiving a nice pass from Timothy Castagne.
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