Gareth Bale’s excellent equaliser helped Wales to hold 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia in a bad-tempered contest in Cardiff.
The Real Madrid forward’s composed finish in injury time in the first half ensured Wales maintained their eight-year unbeaten run in home European Championship qualifiers, a record that has extended to 10 matches.
The Wales goal cancelled out Nikola Vlasic’s opener on nine minutes as the former Everton man found the net with a shot that hit the inside of the post.
The result means Wales’ destiny is no longer in their own hands in Group E, as they are now relying on Slovakia dropping points in their remaining two fixtures, while Wales will need to claim six points from their final two games in Azerbaijan and at home to Hungary.
Should Wales and Slovakia finish level on points, Wales would qualify by virtue of their better head to head record.
Croatia remain top of Group E on the cusp of qualifying for Euro 2020, while Wales remain fourth, though they know that the Nations League could yet offer them a backdoor route to the play-offs if they fail to finish second.
Wales supporters have in the past expressed disappointment at the perception that Ryan Giggs was often unavailable for his country in his playing days, but he is having rotten luck in terms of dealing with injuries as manager.
Not many would dispute that Bale and Aaron Ramsey are Giggs’ key players and senior figures, yet Ramsey has not played a second of the 630 minutes of Group E action that Wales have competed in.
Ramsey did not play for Arsenal last term after 18 April because of an abductor injury and despite featuring five times for new club Juventus this season, a flare-up of the same injury prevented him from travelling to Slovakia and from training intensely enough to be considered to feature
against Croatia.
His absence, however, did at least allow Giggs to name an unchanged line-up for the first time in competitive matches during his 17-game tenure as the national team boss.
The lack of Ramsey was especially pivotal in a game where the opposition have such exceptional talent in midfield, as England found out painfully in last year’s World Cup semi-final.
Croatia’s talent in the middle of the pitch is such that even with Inter Milan’s Marcelo Brozovic suspended, they were still able to leave out Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic, who came on as a half-time substitute.
That talent and Croatia’s ability to keep the ball was evident from the early stages and the visitors scored with their first attack as they cut the Wales defence to shreds with a quick break.
