Wales will now play in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This will mark their second time at the football’s premier event. They beat Ukraine on Sunday night to book their place. The match had a lot of subplots going around it. Will Ukraine make an emotional journey to Qatar? Will Wales set up a clash with England at the World Cup? Or Is Bale still good enough at the top level? However, all these questions were put to rest after the match.
The Cardiff City Stadium served as the venue for this match. It was a must-win game for both the teams. The game started likewise as well. It was an end-to-end display in the first few minutes. Also, the crowd at the stadium was in full voice. The stage promised a cracking game on the night. Moreover, it was winners takes all. Wales has never played in the World Cup in the last 64 years. This made the final whistle scenes even more memorable.
Notably, Wales and Ukraine have met three times in the past. However, they had never beaten them before last night. With this win, Wales becomes the last team from Europe who will play in the FIFA World Cup.
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Wales will play in Qatar FIFA World Cup: The match at a glance
The match saw a positive start on the night. The home team had the full crowd support. However, Ukraine came well prepared for the match. They had more of the ball for the entire 90 minutes. Also, they created more chances to score than the winning team.
However, it was Wales who scored the first and only goal of the match. It came against the run of play. Gareth Bale put the ball in the back of the net with 34 minutes on the clock. His hit deflected off the Ukrainian captain Yarmolenko’s head. This marked the decisive point in the tie.
Nevertheless, four minutes later they had the chance to pull level. They had a close shout for a penalty when their captain was fouled in the Wales box. But, they were denied the penalty decision after a VAR check.
They also came close in the dying moments of the tie. But, the Wales gk was in inspired form to save his team. This result means that Wales will now play in the World Cup in Qatar.