Wales 4-3 Belgium

 

"Wales 4-3 Belgium: Kevin De Bruyne ended Craig Bellamy's perfect start, but Wales made an incredible comeback."

Report on the Match:

Even though the visitors rallied from a three-goal deficit, Kevin De Bruyne guided Belgium to an exciting 4-3 victory over Wales in Brussels, ending Craig Bellamy's undefeated managerial debut. De Bruyne crushed Wales' dreams with a late winner barely two minutes before the final whistle, but Harry Wilson, Sorba Thomas, and Brennan Johnson helped Wales tie the score after falling behind 3-0.

With a vital late goal that gave Belgium the victory and was Bellamy's first loss as manager, De Bruyne ensured Wales couldn't finish their comeback.

It's interesting to note that the 33-year-old De Bruyne had earlier called this match "boring," given that the two countries have faced each other nine times in the last ten years. However, this World Cup qualifying match was anything but dull.

After Brennan Johnson was unfairly sent off for handball, Romelu Lukaku's penalty kick gave Belgium a 3-0 advantage in the first half. After a protracted four-minute VAR check, Lukaku remained composed and eventually put the ball in the net.

Two minutes later, Jeremy Doku scored from the left past goalie Karl Darlow after Youri Tielemans had added a second, leaving Wales stunned and Belgium well ahead.

Wales had opportunities as well, but they were exposed defensively by Belgium's commanding early lead.

Harry Wilson pulled one back after Mats Sels was deemed to have fouled Chris Mepham, giving Wales a lifeline with a generous penalty just before halftime.

Wilson's superbly placed cross-field pass was completed at the far post by Sorba Thomas early in the second half, giving Bellamy's team hope.

Wales' equalizer seemed inevitable as Belgium kept creating chances but became more unsteady at the back.

In a dramatic moment that could equal even French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz's previous triumphs, Wilson and Thomas connected once more. This time, Thomas' header set up Johnson to score and finish the comeback.

Wales appeared to be in command at that moment, but Belgium's aggressive threat persisted. 

After yet another lengthy VAR review, Lukaku's deflected attempt to increase the lead was rejected because the ball had gone out of play during the build-up.

With two minutes remaining, De Bruyne turned in Tielemans' cross at the back post to end the game, but not before causing anxious tension among the home crowd.

Wales was unable to respond this time, and Craig Bellamy's winning streak came to an end in a heroic but devastating loss, sending North Macedonia to the top of Group J.

How long, referee? How a Classic Match Was Disrupted by a 14-Minute VAR Delay

The referee indicated the penalty spot at 10:58 after Brennan Johnson's hand was injured by a shot from Kevin De Bruyne. Romelu Lukaku eventually scored to make it 1-0 after a lengthy wait of three minutes and forty-four seconds. 45:00 +3:32 – Wales were given a contentious penalty after Mats Sels and Chris Mepham collided.

After two minutes and forty seconds, VAR reviewed the incident and confirmed the ruling, enabling Harry Wilson to cut the deficit immediately.

50:51 The Sorba Wales scored another goal through Thomas, but VAR declared it offside.. The goal was announced following a one-minute and forty-two-second wait.

Brennan Johnson gave Wales the equalizer at 68:53, but VAR again ruled it offside. The goal was confirmed one minute and twelve seconds later.

Romelu Lukaku appeared to give Belgium the lead again at 79:51 with a deflected finish, bringing the score to 4-3. VAR did, however, verify if the ball had left play during the build-up. It was banned after 4 minutes and 34 seconds. 

Craig Bellamy and Harry Wilson were booked for demonstrating during the wait, while Rudi Garcia, the manager of Belgium, was also given a yellow card.

VAR checks for goals scored during the game took up a total of 13 minutes and 52 seconds.

Thomas: "We Are Excited to Play Belgium Again" "We committed numerous errors to lose 3-0. But generally, I felt we had the game under control.

They believed the game was finished, therefore they didn't treat us with the deference we merited. But we battled and displayed the Welsh spirit..