Czech Republic 2-2 Wales: Three Things We Learned

World Cup qualifying continues as part of the current international break and we’re really starting to get down to the nitty-gritty for all nations involved. It’s been a long road to get to this point but with Qatar now being within touching distance, it’ll be interesting to see who folds and who thrives in the months to come.

In European qualifying there are plenty of teams still left in with a chance of qualification and last night, we saw two of them go to war as the Czech Republic and Wales played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in Prague.

Wales took the lead before the Czechs turned it around but the visitors pegged them back with 20 minutes left to set up a fascinating finish in Group E.

Wales without Bale = a success?

Even without the presence of Gareth Bale, this was a Welsh side hungry and determined to push forward and cause their opponents some serious problems. They were frenetic, energetic and didn’t let the hosts breathe, and for long periods of time that worked out pretty well for them. The reintroduction of Aaron Ramsey into the mix was always going to serve as a huge benefit and between his goal and overall productivity, we’d say he did his job.

Czechs get lucky

The Czech Republic were gifted a goal by an unfortunate mistake by Danny Ward and their first came from some more uneven defending from the Welsh. The spirit and determination they showcased in the Euros was definitely there in parts but they definitely rode their luck at times, and thanks to Wales not quite having that killer instinct in their side, they got away with it. The only problem now is going to be holding them off in the race for 2nd which is bound to intensify.

Group E uncertainty

Belgium are pretty comfortably going to win the group but the race for second will go down to the final few games. Estonia might make a late play for it but in all likelihood, these two sides are going to be the ones battling it out, with Wales having a game in hand over their Czech rivals. The Nations League should mean that they’re going to be in a decent position either way but finishing second should hand them more of an opportunity to get a better draw – which could be absolutely vital heading into the upcoming play-offs.