Wales v Belgium LIVE: Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard clash in Euro 2016 quarter-final
Follow all the action from Lille as Chris Coleman tries to lead Dragons into an unprecidented semi-final with Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal lying in wait for the winners
- Wales play Belgium in Lille aiming to join Portugal in the semi-finals in Lyon on Wednesday July 6
- Chris Coleman's Dragons are one victory away from eclipsing the legendary 1958 team who were knocked out of the World Cup by Pele's Brazil
- Star-studded Belgium line-up stand in their way and Eden Hazard looked back to his best in the 4-0 last-16 rout of Hungary
- Talisman Gareth Bale is aiming to set up a mouth-watering showdown with Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo
- Wales have won three of their four matches so far and topped their group despite losing 2-1 to neighbours England
- Belgium have won three in a row without conceding since their 2-0 opening-day defeat against Italy
- Chris Coleman's side beat Belgium 1-0 in Cardiff and drew 0-0 in Brussels but The Red Devils topped the qualifying group
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10.01 That's all from me tonight. I'm off to check the family tree for traces of Welsh. See you back here tomorrow night for Germany v Italy. Goodnight!
10.00: Congratulations to Wales. They found themselves a goal down to a rampant Belgium but kept their nerve, kept their shape, didn't panic (are you reading this England?) and simply tore Belgium a new one. A thoroughly deserved win with three belting goals that now makes them the tournament top scorers!
Joyous scenes for Wales but there is a downside to all this. Dean Saunders car is going to be towed away
What a performance. What a team. What a night! Wales will now play Portugal in Lyon next Wednesday!
ALL OVER!! FULL TIME: WALES 3 BELGIUM 1. WALES ARE THROUGH TO THE SEMI-FINALS!
9.48: We're a minute away from Wales v Portugal in the semi-final. A Bale v Ronaldo match-up. BRING. IT. ON.
9.46: This is absolutely astonishing. Make no mistake, Wales have thoroughly deserved this. But all this excitement and all I keep asking myself is, 'I wonder what sort of sink Gareth Bale's got?'
9.44: Tin Tin, Hercule Poirot, Eddy Merckx, Plastic Bertrand, Audrey Hepburn – CAN YOU HEAR ME? YOUR BOYS ARE TAKING A HELL OF A BEATING!!
Gunter crosses from the right and there's sub Vokes to flick a superb header past Courtois and into the far corner. Talk about scenes. This is utter madness!
GOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL!!!!! WALES 3 BELGIUM 1. THIS IS NOT A TEST!! WALES 3 BELGIUM 1
9.39: Nainggolan goes down in the box under a challenge from Williams. Nothing doing says the ref. Oooooooh, file that one under 'seen them given'.
9.37: Joe Ledley is replaced by Andy King while Sam Vokes comes on for the excellent (and technically unemployed) Robson-Kanu. Wales are being forced to drop deeper as Belgium chuck everything at them in these last 10 minutes.
9.36: This is a sickener for Aaron Ramsey. The Arsenal man handles the ball and earns a yellow card that will keep him out of the semi final WHEN Wales get there. He knows it too. It’s Gazza at Italia 90 all over again. Where’s Gary Lineker to signal to the bench, ‘Keep an eye on him’.
9.31: MISS! How has Fellaini not scored here? Alderweireld slings over the perfect cross, the big man is six yards out but somehow he afros his header wide. Shocking miss!
9.30: Belgium remind me of Lady Gaga – individually, all the talented parts look terrific but put it all together and it looks a bit of a shambles
9.28: CHANCE! De Bruyne scampers down the left but his low cross is cut out by the sliding Chester before Lukaku can tap home. Wales have 18 minutes to hang on!
9.26: Fellaini is a red card waiting to punch someone. He's just steamed in with another truly awful late tackle. No way he'll see this game out
9.23: Half a chance for Ashley Williams who lashes a half volley high and wide after another well-worked corner. The Welsh skipper could have had a hat-trick tonight! Astonishing.
9.21: The worrying thing for Wales is that seven of Belgium's nine goals at Euro 2016 have been scored after half-time, including six in the last half hour.
9.19; Belgium are rocking! They've done an England and have completely lost the plot. If Wales keep at it they could finish the job in the next ten minutes. Please don't sit back - there's another 27 minutes to go!
9.16: Oof! Fellaini who'd been chalking up his elbows for the last few minutes, finally clatters into Bale and that's a yellow card for the United hitman who will now miss the semi-final should Belgium get there. Which is looking more unlikely by the minute
It's been all Belgium but Robson-Kanu scores one of the goals of the tournament! He executes a Cruyff turn, wrongfooting 3 defenders before cooly slotting into the corner. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. And I think I just have! Un.Be. Lievable!
GOOOOOOOAAALLLLLLL!!!! WALES 2 BELGIUM 1 Bedlam! Utter bedlam!
9.10: That's actually the first we've seen of Hazard tonight. In that first half, much like Ryan Giggs' eyebrows, he'd gone missing
9.05: Belgium have started this half like they did the first. A dinked ball finds Lukaku at the back post but amazingly he Harry Kane's his header wide of the post. Then Eden Hazard jinks in off the left wing and fizzes a shot wide of the far post. Belgium edging ever closer
That's Fellaini by the way
9.04: Belgium have made a half time change with Carrasco being replaced by this man….
PEEEP! Wales get us underway again....
What a breathless half of football that was. Do you reckon both sides will come out and play for penalties like Portugal and Poland last night? Not. A Chance.
HALF TIME: WALES 1 BELGIUM 1
8.46: CLOSE! Ramsey stands a cross up to the back post where Robson-Kanu thumps a header at Courtois. Wales are finishing this half like Belgium started it!
8.41: We're into the last five minutes of what has been a truly pulsating game. Wales have come back brilliantly after Belgium flew out of the blocks.
8.34: This is the nuts! First Hennessey gets a touch to prevent an immediate Belgium equaliser then Bale turns on the after-burners and skins two defenders before thumping a low skimmer that forces Courtois into a diving save. What. A. Game.
Skipper Ashley Williams meets a near post corner and batters a downward header into the net! It's oh so simple but oh so sweet for Wales. What a time to score your second goal for your country!
GOOOOAALLLLLL!!!! WALES 1 BELGIUM 1
8.28: Oh and they so nearly do get back into it! Ramsey's cute cut back finds Taylor lurking on the penalty spot and the wing back lashes a low effort that's brilliantly kept out by Courtois. What a stop from the lanky Novak Djokovic lookalike!
8.26: Chris Gunter is the latest Welsh player to see yellow. That's three yellows in the first 20 minutes, Wales need to regain a bit of composure here. There's still plenty of time to get back in this game
8.23: That Nainggolan strike gets more ferocious with every viewing. Tell you what though, he may have a great shot on him but he's still got a face like the smell of Joachim Low's fingers
8.20: James Chester picks up a yellow after tripping Lukaku. That's two of Wales three centre backs on yellow cards now. Gonna have to tread careful during the next 70 minutes
8.17: You can't say Belgium don't deserve that. They've gone off like a box of fireworks and Wales will do well to withstand the next ten minutes or so. Do you think at this very minute, the England players are bouncing up and down in Jamie Vardy's house?
Lordy what a strike this is! Nainggolan absolutely lashes a 25 yarder into the top corner. Hennessey gets fingertips to it but man, that was travelling so fast it had flames trailing out the back of it. Awesome whizzbang!
8.14: GOOOOOOAALLLLL!! BELGIUM 1 WALES 0
8.09: Great response from Wales who hit back with a Robson-Kanu header just over and a terrific run from Bale that ends with a lashed shot zipping into the side netting. What a start to the game! It's an absolute end to end stormer!
8.08: Biff! Bash! Bosh! How have Belgium not scored here! Hennessey makes a terrific block from Carrasco before Wales throw bodies at two follow-ups and somehow deflect the ball over. From the corner, Lukaku has a tap in at the back post but shows all the commitment of Raheem Sterling and the ball whizzes past him without the big fella getting a touch
8.06 Oof! Ben Davies blatantly blocks De Bruyne and that's a yellow card which will put him out of the semi-final should Wales progress. Bit harsh so early in the game
8.03: It's a ding dong do of a start with Belgium straight into their neat passing game, pressing Wales back. This promises to be the game of the tournament. If someone could just gag Robbie Savage
8.00: PEEEP! We are underway! Though frankly I've had enough of the crowd doing that weedy countdown thing before the ref blows his whistle. Cut it out!
7.55 It's absolutely tipping it down in Lille but the torrential rain does nothing to dampen Welsh spirits as the players blast out the national anthem. Spine tingling stuff!
7.54: Right, the players are lurking in the tunnel as Gareth Bale adjusts his man bun. What are your predictions for tonight? Mystic Wray's going for a squeaky 1-0 Belgium win. And I've got a weird feeling we're in for some huge controversy tonight. We're due some in this tournament and I fear Wales are going to be on the wrong end of a refereeing howler
7.43: Reasons to be fearful: Belgium have not conceded in their last three games - their longest run of clean sheets at a major tournament. Reasons to be cheerful: Three of their first choice back four are missing tonight!
7.39: This Belgium side are packed with superstars but the biggest threat to Wales tonight is surely Kevin de Bruyne. The Man City star has been directly involved in 12 goals in his last 12 games with Belgium (five goals, seven assists). All very impressive. But on the downside, he still looks like a cross between Michael Portillo and Eoghan Quigg
6.35: Evenin’ all! Welcome to live coverage of tonight’s ma-hoo-sive game
6.41: Now, a few days ago the whole of England would have been rooting for Wales. But I suspect, after seeing that video of Welsh players celebrating England’s demise, there are probably a few of you out there who wouldn’t mind seeing a bit of revenge dished out by Eden Hazard and co...
6.42: But come on. England deserved everything that was thrown at them. Besides, we’re running out of friends in Europe right now so COME ON WALES!! More importantly, if Wales go out tonight, it would really kill the feelgood factor we’ve currently got going in Britain
He forgot to add 'And the man bun in my hair’
6.58: BREAKING TEAM NEWS: Belgium make three changes as injured Vertonghen and suspended Vermaelen are replaced by Jason Denayer and Jordan Lukaku at the back. Dries Mertens is replaced by Carrasco in midfield...BELGIUM: Courtois, Meunier, Alderweireld, Denayer, J. Lukaku, Witsel, Nainggolan, Carrasco, De Bruyne, Hazard, R. Lukaku.
7.00: Just the one change for Wales as Robson-Kanu replaces Sam Vokes upfront..WALES:Hennessey, Gunter, Williams, Chester, Taylor, Allen, Ramsey, Ledley, Bale, Robson-Kanu.
7.06: If you’re having a flutter, here’s your need to know. This is the first time these teams have met in the finals of a major tournament. But Belgium have won five of the 12 previous meetings, with four victories for Wales and three draws.
7.08: Don’t forget, the Belgians failed to score against the Welsh in Euro 2016 qualifying, drawing 0-0 in Brussels and losing 1-0 in Cardiff to a goal from Gareth Bale.
7.10: FACT ME! Wales have trailed for only two minutes and 31 seconds (including injury time) in their four games at Euro 2016.
7.12: FACT ME AGAIN BIG BOY! The three goals Wales have conceded at Euro 2016 have all come from the 56th minute onwards - and have all been scored by substitutes.
7.16: FACT-ish. The Wales team mantra, TogetherStronger actually refers to Ryan Giggs’ eyebrows
7.27: Anyone else find it funny that without official access to games, Sky Sports Euro 2016 coverage consists of reporters in fan parks asking people with painted faces what the score’s going to be?
