Kevin De Bruyne’s first-half masterclass was enough for Belgium to beat Wales 2-1 in the Nations League and Rob Page’s side needed a win against Poland on Sunday to avoid crashing out of Group A4. .
De Bruyne gave Belgium the lead (10) with a superb left-foot finish on the edge of the box after Wales failed to recover and the Man City playmaker had no answer as he wreaked havoc before the break. , had set up the former Chelsea. Striker Michy Batshuayi (37) made it 2-0 with a low cross.
Kieffer Moore’s early second-half goal (50) gave Wales hope of staging a comeback but not even the introduction of captain Gareth Bale off the bench could clinch an equaliser for a depleted Wales side that produced a spirited second-half display in their penultimate game before the World Cup.
Wales are teetering on the edge of relegation from the top tier of the competition ahead of Sunday’s final Group A4 match against Poland in Cardiff on Sunday. Belgium, meanwhile, remain three points behind the table-topping Netherlands, who they must beat by a margin of two on Sunday to head to the Nations League finals.
