Wales fought back from three goals down to level the scores in their World Cup qualifier in Belgium. only for Kevin De Bruyne, the former Manchester City star, to score a winner in a seven-goal thriller
Craig Bellamy patted his brave Wales players on the back and gave them a boot up the backside at the same time after a night of high drama in Brussels. And Sorba Thomas slammed Belgium over a “lack of respect” after the Welsh fought from three goals down, only to let Kevin De Bruyne blast home the winner in a seven-goal thriller.
The Welsh looked dead and buried after half and hour, trailing 3-0 to an inspired Belgium. But a Harry Wilson penalty on the stroke of half-time was the springboard for an incredible comeback that saw them draw level at 3-3 before De Bruyne broke their hearts in the closing minutes.
Bellamy hailed his side for their spirited response but reproached them for a half-hour horror show.
“I have to be honest, since September I’ve really felt proud to be their coach,” he said. “But we didn’t cope with the momentum in the first half when their pen went against us. We suffered for a period but then we got a penalty and that gave us belief.
“Second half we showed what we can do. The players have to understand how good they are. To come to a top-eight team and to play that way will give us so much. But I don’t like the defeat and I don’t feel ‘oh unlucky Wales.’ We need to win these games.”
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Thomas, who recently sealed a move to Championship side Stoke City after leaving League One Huddersfield, accused the Belgians and insisted Wales “won in our own heads” despite the late heartbreak.
“I don’t think they showed us the respect we deserved,’ said Thomas. ‘I think they thought the game was done, but we showed our Welsh fire. We run through brick walls for each other. Even though we lost, I feel like we won in our own heads.
Bellamy had not suffered defeat since being appointed Wales head coach last July, going nine games unbeaten. So to be 3-0 down within 30 minutes must have come as one hell of a shock.
De Bruyne earned Belgium a penalty early on when his shot hit Brennan Johnson’s arm. It looked a very harsh call by the referee but VAR had a long look and agreed with the decision. Ex-Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku, who won Serie A with Napoli this term, made no mistake from the spot.
The lead was doubled less than five minutes later when Belgium captain Youri Tielemans was teed up by Leandro Trossard and fired into the top corner. It went from bad to worse for Wales when Manchester City ’s Jeremy Doku, in electric form all night, made it 3-0, though Wales keeper Karl Darlow perhaps should have done better with his left-footed shot.
The Dragons looked outfought, outclassed, and out of ideas. But they gave themselves a glimmer of hope in stoppage time. Thomas’s corner was aimed towards Chris Mepham, who was clattered by Belgium keeper Matz Sels. Wales were awarded a penalty which Wilson slotted home with his left foot.
That glimmer turned into a real opportunity six minutes after the break when Sorba Thomas coolly finished for his first goal for his country. All of a sudden the comeback was most definitely on.
And Thomas turned provider for a dramatic equaliser, his header being nodded home by Johnson as Belgium fans looked on in disbelief.
As Wales pressed hard for a winner, Belgium broke quickly and Lukaku thought he’d won it but, after another lengthy VAR check, it was deemed the ball had earlier gone out of play right under the nose of a hugely animated Bellamy.
De Bruyne did win it late on, though, expertly volleying home at the back post from a Tielemans cross, with the Wales players on their knees. Wales captain Ben Davies said the De Bruyne winner was a real sickener.
“Getting back as close as we did is probably why the result is as painful as it is,” he said. “We knew we could do a lot better. You could see in the second half, we managed to nick a goal before half-time and it gave us something to hang on to and we pushed them close.
“We have plenty more games we just have to focus on ourselves and hopefully results go our way.”
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