Belgium managed to beat Wales 4-3 in an exciting UEFA World Cup qualifying match. Lukaku, Tielemans, and Doku helped Manchester United go ahead 3-0 within just 27 minutes in the first half. Wales remained positive and Wilson scored a penalty before the end of the first half. After the pause, Wales pushed forward and Thomas and Johnson’s goals made it 3-3. In the 88th minute, Kevin De Bruyne scored the decisive goal, helping Belgium win despite Wales trying hard till the end.
Wales’ Defensive Discipline Breaks Down
Wales was unable to slow down Belgium’s attacks at the start, letting in three goals before the half-hour mark. Their strategy for defending was messy, giving Belgium a lot of room in the penalty area. In vital parts of the game, repeated mistakes also affected them, as Brennan Johnson gave away a penalty with a handball to Lukaku. Not marking their opponents well in several areas made it possible for Belgium’s midfielders and wingers to score. Wales struggled to recover in the match because they had picked up some errors and showed little urgency at first.
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Missed Chances And Tactical Inflexibility Cost Wales
Wales failed to overcome the defeat by not being more accurate or effective in the last phase of the game. Though they had some interesting goal chances, such as Cullen’s header and Harris’ shot from close range, their goal finishes weren’t good enough. The fresh players in the second half did provide some excitement, but it was too late to decide the match clearly. More intense tackling of the Belgium standouts Doku and De Bruyne in the first half might have affected the hosts’ overall game. Getting set pieces more organized might have boosted the results from their offensive plays.