FT: WALES 1 - 1 BELGIUM. Wales seeded for the play offs

Cardiff City Stadium. ko 7:45pm

Wales will secure second spot in their World Cup qualifying group with a draw against Belgium on Tuesday.

Wales are already guaranteed a play-off place having won their Nations League group but, to have any chance of a home draw, they must finish second in their World Cup qualifying group.

They are three points ahead of the third-place Czech Republic, whose final qualifier is against minnows Estonia.

World number ones Belgium have already won Group E to qualify automatically.

"To qualify for a World Cup, these opportunities won't come along very often," said Aaron Ramsey, who is expected to captain Wales with Gareth Bale ruled out of the game.

"It might be the last time we have an opportunity as good as this.

"That was our target, to finish second in our group, that hasn't changed. If we manage to get a result on Tuesday we will have achieved it."

If Wales and the Czech Republic end on the same number of points, second place will go to the team with the best goal difference or, failing that, the team with most goals scored. Wales currently have a goal difference two better than the Czechs, having scored one goal more in total.

Wales can take such a scenario out of the equation by taking at least a point from their match against Belgium.

That would also significantly enhance their hopes of securing home advantage for the play-off semi-final. Victory would guarantee it.

The 12 play-off places go to the 10 group runners-up and two from the Nations League, with home advantage in the semi-finals going to the six highest-ranked runners-up.

With Euro 2016 champions Portugal now among the teams confirmed as being at home in the play-offs after they were dramatically beaten at home by Serbia on Sunday, there is more of an incentive for Wales to finish as one of the six best runners-up and avoid such formidable opposition.

Italy, who relinquished automatic qualification to Switzerland after being held by Northern Ireland on Monday, and Scotland - with a fine win over Denmark - will also be home seeds in the play-offs.

"That home tie is going to be massive but there are great teams in that pot who we could potentially draw," said Ramsey.

"We have just got to concentrate on this game and try to finish the job off correctly, then worry about whatever is to come in the future."

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez has admitted he will look to blood a new generation against Wales.

But, with Wales in need of a point to secure second place in the group behind Belgium, he insists the world's number one ranked side will not drop their standards.

Thibaut Courtois, Eden Hazard, Jason Denayer, Simon Mignolet and Dennis Praet have been added to an absentee list already containing Romelu Lukaku, Toby Alderweireld and Youri Tielemans.

"In our three qualifying campaigns, we have 27 games, 25 victories and two draws - and we want to carry on with those standards, but we want to see players who have been impressing and will get their opportunity," Martinez said.

"We have worked for two years developing a new group and we feel they are ready and we will see some of those generation of players, and see… what they can bring to this squad 12 months away from the World Cup."

Hazard has returned to Real Madrid after completing 60 minutes against Estonia, a move Martinez says was planned once automatic qualification was secure, while Courtois was among those he said were carrying "niggles".

Wales, beaten by Belgium in Leuven at the start of the campaign, apart from that result have an enviable record against a side ranked first by Fifa since September 2018, including a 1-0 win over Belgium in June 2015 on their last visit to Cardiff.

Martinez, who began his coaching career at Swansea City, says he expects a hostile atmosphere.

"The environment of a full crowd after a Covid period makes a big difference," he said. "We felt it when we played Estonia so know that will play a big part and it will be a challenge for us, especially for those who have not experienced it in previous camps.

"But the atmosphere will be perfect for what we need. We have worked for two years developing a new group and we feel they are ready."

Team news

Wales will be without talisman Bale after the Real Madrid forward was left out of manager Robert Page's squad of 23 for the game in Cardiff.

Bale, 32, was taken off at half-time in Saturday's 5-1 thrashing of Belarus, a precautionary substitution he described as "planned" afterwards.

He was winning his 100th cap but making his first appearance for two months after a hamstring tear.

Bale is likely to be replaced by Cardiff City striker Kieffer Moore, who is available after serving a one-match suspension, but defender or midfielder Ethan Ampadu is banned following his yellow card against Belarus.

There are seven players in the Wales squad who are one booking away from suspension. They are Chris Gunter, James Lawrence, Joe Allen, Joe Morrell, Harry Wilson, Sorba Thomas and Aaron Ramsey.

Players booked against Belgium will be banned for the play-off semi-final in March, played over one leg.

Belgium are without some prominent first-team players, including Chelsea striker Lukaku, who is recovering from an ankle injury.

Hazard and goalkeeper Courtois are also missing, as are Leicester City midfielder Tielemans, Lyon defender Denayer and Al Duhail centre-back Alderweireld, formerly of Tottenham.

Match facts

• Wales have won two of their past three games against Belgium, winning in June 2015 in a Euro 2016 qualifier and then at the tournament itself in the quarter-final stage.
• Away from home, Belgium have lost four of their six matches against Wales. They won the other two, in March 1997 at the Arms Park in Cardiff and September 2012 at Cardiff City Stadium.
• Wales have lost just two of their past 19 World Cup qualifying matches (winning nine and drawing eight) and are unbeaten in their past six since losing to Belgium in March.
• Belgium have won 20 of their past 23 away matches in World Cup and Euros qualifying, with their only defeat in that run coming against Wales in June 2015. They've scored 58 goals and kept 14 clean sheets in this run.
• A point for Wales will secure them a top-two spot in the group - it will be the first time they've finished in the top two of a World Cup qualifying group since qualification for the 1966 World Cup when they finished second, although only the first-place teams qualified that year.
• Belgium are unbeaten in their past 27 World Cup qualifiers, the second-longest current unbeaten run behind England (30). Their run began with a 2-0 away win in Wales back in September 2012.
• Aaron Ramsey has scored eight goals in his past 15 World Cup qualifying appearances for Wales, while his brace against Belarus made him only the sixth player to score 20 goals for Wales. The others are Gareth Bale (36), Ian Rush (28), Trevor Ford (23), Ivor Allchurch (23) and Dean Saunders (22).
• In just 17 starts in World Cup qualifiers, Kevin De Bruyne has scored five and assisted nine goals for Belgium. In only three appearances in World Cup 2022 qualification, De Bruyne has scored once and assisted twice, with only Eden Hazard (13) and Hans Vanaken (10) creating more chances than he has from his three games (nine).

If we can get a point or more we'll get either: Turkey, Finland, North Macedonia or Poland.

A defeat means: Scotland, Italy Portugal, Russia or Sweden

.....I think

we could maybe beat scotland

Morrell and Moore in for Bale and Wilson.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PhyllisStant

If we can get a point or more we'll get either: Turkey, Finland, North Macedonia or Poland.

A defeat means: Scotland, Italy Portugal, Russia or Sweden

.....I think

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for the semi final anyway

if we got to the final we'd likely get one of the second lot anyway

KDB FFS!

ok....lets hope for scotland then

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MacAdder

KDB FFS!

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You're just a sh!t Aaron Ramsey, 20 seconds later de Bryne 1-0

Why were the crowd booing DeBruyne? It only got him annoyed.

Why did Joe Allen run away from De Bruyne and leave him unmarked? Ffs.

why are we playing in red again...feck off Tan and warnock

Quote:

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

Why were the crowd booing DeBruyne? It only got him annoyed.

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Because they're brain dead

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ToTaL ITK

why are we playing in red again...feck off Tan and warnock

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😂😂😂😂

Calling him a shit Aaron Ramsey backfired big time

why is vaulks on the bench ?...he shouldn't even be in the squad

Moore 1-1

we should buy him

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ToTaL ITK

we should buy him

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Humorous mood tonight are we? 😂

Morrell misses the playoff.... Thank ****

Quote:

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Originally Posted by UNDERHILL1927

Humorous mood tonight are we? ��

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yes...unusual for me.

Hazard hits the post.

Brilliant effort.

Well watched Danny.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MacAdder

Hazard hits the post.

Brilliant effort.

Well watched Danny.

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Quality strike that

Quote:

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Originally Posted by UNDERHILL1927

Quality strike that

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if that had gone in it would have been a goal..probably

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ToTaL ITK

if that had gone in it would have been a goal..probably

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Indeed, and if Conor Roberts could shoot we may be 2-1 up

That Origi's a right handful.
He looks huge!