One of the things everyone says about Gareth Bale is that, for him, the team is always king, so he would have been unbothered at not getting in on the act as Wales effortlessly routed Belarus on his 100th cap. Instead Bale, wearing an enormous smile, applauded from the substitutes’ bench – he was withdrawn at half-time on his comeback from injury – as Ben Davies added a fourth goal, following an Aaron Ramsey double and a strike by Neco Williams. Connor Roberts found a late fifth goal shortly after the Belarus substitute Artem Kontsevoi had hit a consolation strike.
Attention turns to Tuesday’s game here with the Group E winners, Belgium. While it is mathematically possible for Wales to finish second on goal difference if they lose narrowly but score, realistically they need a draw unless the Czech Republic fail to win at home to Estonia. Wales have secured a play-off spot via the Nations League but need to come second to have a chance of being seeded.
