In the King Baudouin Stadium, Belgium has booked a simple victory over Wales. It only became 2-1, but that final score certainly did not reflect the proportions in the first half. In stoppage time, national coach Roberto Martinez was sent off with a red card, causing him to be suspended for Sunday’s game against the Netherlands.
If the Red Devils, led by the sometimes unparalleled Kevin de Bruyne, had taken advantage of all the great opportunities, Wales would have been sent home with a monster score. De Bruyne and Michy Batshuayi scored the Belgian goals in the first half.
Just before the final whistle, Martinez prevented Wales from taking a quick throw-in by shielding the ball outside the lines. Turkish referee Ali Palabiyik immediately pulled the red card and sent Martinez away. Thierry Henry, the national coach’s first assistant, will be on the bench against the Orange in Amsterdam on Sunday as the person ultimately responsible.
Belgium came by the victory on 10 points, 3 points less than the Orange. Both teams will meet on Sunday in the final group game in Amsterdam. A draw is enough for the Dutch national team to secure the Final Four of the Nations League. If Belgium wins and the points total is equal, the mutual results are decisive. The Orange triumphed a few months ago in Brussels with 4-1.
De Bruyne opened the scoring in the tenth minute on a pass from Batshuayi, in the 37th minute the roles were reversed. The Fenerbahçe striker tapped the ball in after a cross from the playmaker of Manchester City. Shortly after the break, Wales returned to the game with a header from Kieffer Moore. Substitute Gareth Bale was still close to 2-2. The referee gave Belgium a penalty in the final phase for an alleged foul on star De Bruyne, but after reviewing the TV images, he withdrew that decision.
In Belgium, the 18-year-old defender Zeno Debast of Anderlecht made his debut in the base. The teenager formed the defense with former Ajax players Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, who have both been playing in the Belgian league since this season.
At the World Cup, Belgium, the number 2 in the world ranking, will compete against Canada, Morocco and Croatia.
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