After a 1-1 draw with Switzerland, Wales knew victory over Turkey on Wednesday would go some way towards helping them reach the Euro 2020 knockouts given their final Group A game is against Italy.
Robert Page named an unchanged XI for the Turkey match, and it looked to be the right call when Aaron Ramsey’s well-taken goal put Wales 1-0 up at half-time.
Gareth Bale then missed a chance to double their lead from the spot, but it did not matter as Wales held on to edge closer to the last 16.
Connor Roberts made sure of that, timing his run into the box and making it 2-0 with 90+5 on the clock.
Here are five standout performances from the win over Turkey…
Aaron Ramsey
Third time’s a charm. On the first occasion Bale found Ramsey, the latter had his head in his hands after going for goal from a narrow angle and seeing his attempt saved at the near post by Ugurcan Cakir.
The second time the pair combined, Ramsey missed a glorious opportunity midway through the first half when blazing over after a fine through-ball put the Juventus midfielder one-on-one with Cakir.
The third time Bale found Ramsey, he made no mistake, timing his run beautifully to chest down a pinpoint ball before rolling it past the Turkey goalkeeper just before half-time.
In the second half, Ramsey was on hand to sweep up defensively too, and after stinging the hands of Cakir with a low strike, he all but sealed his status as man of the match when tracking back to make a last-ditch tackle in the 80th minute and deny Mert Muldur. A quality all-round performance and one which should be enough to send his side into the last 16.
Gareth Bale
After a quiet display against Switzerland the spotlight shone a little brighter on captain Bale, and he duly delivered with a quarterback-like performance where he kept picking out Ramsey for fun – a combo which paid off just before the break.
In the second half, Bale maintained his role as creator before earning Wales a penalty on the hour mark when he was fouled just inside the box. He picked himself up but lacked the composure when sending his spot-kick well over the bar, ensuring Turkey still had a way back into the match.
Nevertheless, the penalty miss was the only blot on his report card, and if both he and Ramsey can produce a similar performance against Italy then they have every chance of coming away from Rome with a shock result which would help them top Group A.
Have Wales qualified for the Euro 2020 knockouts?
Wales now have four points and are guaranteed to finish at least third in Group A, meaning qualification for the last 16 looks likely even if they do not finish in the top two. The four best third-place finishers also reach the last 16, and at Euro 2016 both Northern Ireland and Portugal qualified in third with three points, so too Republic of Ireland and Slovakia with four.
Dan James
“Just give the ball to Daniel James as often as you can,” Robbie Savage said on BBC’s co-commentary 20 minutes in.
It was a clear tactic for Wales, and his crosses led to a couple of early chances – one which Kieffer Moore headed over. The Bale-Ramsey combo may have produced the first goal, but James’ lively display constantly had Turkey on the back-foot, and his energy will be needed again in Rome on Sunday.
Kieffer Moore
Wales’ saviour in the opening draw against Switzerland, Kieffer Moore was showered with praise for his aerial ability in both boxes, and against Turkey his first headed chance fell after 13 minutes.
The Cardiff City forward was unable to direct James’ cross on target in that instance, but he continued to be a nuisance, and his brushings with Caglar Soyuncu led to a bloodied nose for his troubles. There’s no dropping Moore at this rate.
Ben Davies
The Tottenham defender fashioned a header from a difficult cross which went wide early on, and in the second half he made a couple of vital interceptions to keep Turkey at bay.
His positioning was spot on, and it proved crucial especially when Turkey were looking to pepper the box and pick out danger-man Burak Yılmaz.
More from i on Euro 2020
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- ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ showing he has perfect blend of silk and steel to be a star
- Where Schick’s strike against Scotland ranks among greatest Euros goals
- How to watch every Euro 2020 match on TV and online in the UK
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3wwNzQv
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