Wales were left heartbroken on Monday night despite an impressive display against a Belgium side that included Kevin De Bruyne, Leandro Trossard and Jeremy Doku.
Joe Rodon’s opener for the Welsh gave Craig Bellamy’s side the perfect platform for a surprise result in Cardiff. But Belgium quickly put an end to any Welsh hopes, going into the break 2-1 up over Wales.
A late goal by Nathan Broadhead wasn’t enough, as Belgium eventually ran out 4-2 winners. But the turning point was a penalty given against Ethan Ampadu for a handball, handling at very close range.
Charles De Ketelaere, a name Leeds fans will remember from the Andrea Radrizzani era, clipped a ball to the back post but Ampadu – a yard away, not even looking at the ball – handled. VAR confirmed a penalty.
Harry Wilson thinks penalty against Ethan Ampadu ‘very harsh’
Karl Darlow could do nothing as Kevin De Bruyne scored the first of two penalties against Leeds’ no.1 on Monday night, either side of Thomas Meunier’s gorgeous strike. After Broadhead, Trossard made it 4-2.
But the penalty against Ampadu seemed to suck the life out of Bellamy’s men after such a strong start. Speaking after the game, Wilson, who almost joined Ampadu’s Leeds, defended his Wales teammate.
“I’ve not seen the penalty but it looked a bit harsh to me; Ethan was just moving side to side and it struck his hand,” Wilson told BBC Sport. “That’s unfortunate but we have to defend the second goal better.”
What do Wales need to do to secure World Cup qualification?
The defeat to Belgium leaves Wales in third place in Group J, with two games remaining. They take on Liechtenstein and then North Macedonia, and are likely to need six points to finish in second place.
The odds look good for Wales. An away game against Liechtenstein, but they have failed to secure a single point from any of their six games, losing all six. It should be a comfortable win for Bellamy’s men.
| Position | Games played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
| Belgium | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 14 |
| North Macedonia | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 13 |
| Wales | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
| Kazakhstan | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -4 | 7 |
| Liechtenstein | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -23 | 0 |
Gjanni Alioski’s North Macedonia will be a sterner test, but Wales boast home advantage. It is still very much in Wales’ hands to qualify for the World Cup, but they must get the job done in November.
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