CYMRU came agonisingly close to pulling off a remarkable comeback in Brussels, but a late goal from Kevin De Bruyne sealed a dramatic 4-3 win for Belgium in a pulsating World Cup qualifier.
Craig Bellamy’s men were staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat after falling 3-0 behind inside the opening half-hour, yet showed extraordinary character to haul themselves level with goals from Harry Wilson, Sorba Thomas and Brennan Johnson. But just as the away fans dared to believe, De Bruyne struck at the death to snatch victory for the hosts and break Cymric hearts.
The result throws Group J wide open. Earlier in the day, North Macedonia’s win over Kazakhstan saw them leapfrog Cymru, who now sit second in the table.
“I’m not camping. I’m not sitting back. It’s not in my make-up. I can’t do it, I don’t want to do it,” Bellamy insisted ahead of kick-off. True to his word, Cymru came to play, but Belgium’s quality was on full display from the outset.
Bellamy made three changes to the side that comfortably dispatched Liechtenstein 3-0 last Friday. Chris Mepham, Jordan James and David Brooks came into the starting XI, replacing Neco Williams, Liam Cullen and Kieffer Moore.
Despite a spirited start, the visitors found themselves under sustained pressure. Jeremy Doku’s early warning shot was blocked, but the breakthrough came soon after. A deflected De Bruyne strike struck Johnson’s arm in the box, and following a lengthy VAR review, Romelu Lukaku stepped up to send Karl Darlow the wrong way from the penalty spot.
Things quickly went from bad to worse. Ethan Ampadu picked up a yellow card before Belgium doubled their lead on 19 minutes. A slick move between Lukaku and Leandro Trossard ended with Youri Tielemans rifling into the top corner.
Cymru were rattled, but to their credit, they steadied. Brooks and Thomas both had efforts before De Bruyne came close to adding a third.
That third goal did come shortly after, Doku cutting inside and unleashing a fierce left-footed effort that gave Darlow no chance. With 15 minutes still to play in the first half, it looked as though Cymru were simply trying to limit the damage.
Then came a moment of fortune. From a corner, Belgian goalkeeper Matz Sels clattered into Mepham in the air. The referee pointed to the spot, and after another VAR check, the decision stood. Wilson converted with confidence, giving Cymru a glimmer of hope just before the break.
Buoyed by the goal, Cymru emerged with renewed purpose after the interval. But they nearly conceded a fourth straight away, Dodi Lukebakio firing over when one-on-one with Darlow.
Instead, it was the visitors who struck next. On 52 minutes, Wilson played a superb ball through to Thomas, who kept his cool to slot beyond Sels and reignite the contest.
Belgium, once dominant, were now on the ropes. Cymru pressed forward, and Bellamy introduced Liam Cullen and Mark Harris in search of more energy up front. Harris nearly made an instant impact, heading just wide from a Thomas cross.
With 20 minutes remaining, the unthinkable happened. Thomas, again involved, cushioned a header across goal for Johnson to nod home and complete an astonishing turnaround. For the first time all night, Belgium looked genuinely rattled.
The drama wasn’t done. With fewer than 10 minutes left, Lukaku thought he’d restored the lead, only for VAR to rule his effort out, the ball adjudged to have gone out of play in the build-up.
But Belgium would not be denied. Mere moments later, De Bruyne ghosted in at the back post to tap home the winner, crushing Cymric hopes just as a famous result seemed within reach.
It was a cruel end to a brave and exhilarating Cymric performance—one that underlined their fighting spirit, but ultimately left them with nothing to show for it.
