Belgium 2-1 Wales: Three Things We Learned

The UEFA Nations League continues to push towards its conclusion this week and while we do put value into the competition and what it can do for a country’s tournament hopes, the real focus here is on ironing out any lingering problems before the FIFA World Cup – for the teams that are heading to Qatar, that is.

Last night, we saw Belgium and Wales face one another yet again as the Red Devils managed to hold off the Dragons and secure a 2-1 win.

Today, we’re going to pick out our biggest takeaways from the encounter.

KDB at his best

He scored the opener from the edge of the penalty box, he hit the post, provided the assist for Michy Batshuayi and generally seemed to be controlling the game throughout his time on the pitch. Kevin de Bruyne is one of the best players of his generation and this winter, he could be in with a real chance of earning Player of the Tournament – so long as they can maintain a tight team cohesion.

Welsh fightback

Kieffer Moore reduced the deficit early in the second half after the Belgians seemed to be well on their way to a comfortable win, and from there, the Welsh slowly but surely built their way back into the fixture. It was reassuring to see them pressing the action and really going after the equaliser, especially given that they now need to beat Poland in order to remain in the top flight of the Nations League.

World Cup promise

Belgium and Wales may or may not meet again in the World Cup but even if they don’t, there’s something to be said for how their encounters in the Nations League have helped build both of them up. Belgium will go into a group with Canada, Morocco and Croatia, whereas Wales will take on England, USA and Iran. In both instances, we can see routes to the Round of 16 with relative ease if they can keep up this kind of form.