Wales Held to Disappointing Goalless Draw in Gibraltar
Gibraltar, April 2023 – Wales’ hopes of securing a vital World Cup qualifying victory in Gibraltar were dashed on Saturday night as they were held to a disappointing 0-0 draw by the home side. Gareth Bale’s men were heavily favored to take all three points against the minnows, who are ranked 200th in the FIFA world rankings. However, the Welsh attack struggled to break down a resolute Gibraltar defense, led by goalkeeper Dayle Coleing. Wales had the better of the possession and created a number of chances, but they could not find the finishing touch. Bale had a free-kick saved in the first half, while Kieffer Moore’s header came back off the bar in the second. Gibraltar also had their moments on the counter-attack, with Liam Walker coming closest to scoring when he rattled the crossbar with a long-range effort. The draw leaves Wales in third place in their qualifying group, behind Belgium and the Czech Republic. They now face a crucial clash against the Czech Republic in Cardiff on Tuesday in a match that could have a major bearing on their qualification hopes. Gibraltar manager Julio Ribas was delighted with the result and praised his team’s performance. “We knew it would be a tough game, but we defended well and created some good chances,” he said. “We’re very proud of what we’ve achieved tonight.” Wales manager Robert Page was disappointed with the result but admitted that Gibraltar had played well. “We didn’t play as well as we can, but credit to Gibraltar, they defended well and made it difficult for us,” he said. “We’ll learn from this and come back stronger against the Czech Republic.”
Wales Fails to Score in Disappointing Gibraltar Draw
Wales came away from Gibraltar on Thursday with a frustrating 0-0 draw, leaving their hopes of securing a World Cup play-off spot in jeopardy. The Dragons, who have now failed to win their last three matches, were held in check by a determined Gibraltar side that defended valiantly throughout the 90 minutes. Despite controlling possession for much of the game, Wales struggled to create clear-cut chances, with Kieffer Moore and Aaron Ramsey both failing to make an impact on the opposition’s defense. Gareth Bale, who had been passed fit to start after missing the last two games, was unable to inspire his team to victory. The Real Madrid forward missed a golden opportunity late in the match when he headed wide from a Gareth Bale cross. The result leaves Wales in third place in Group E, four points behind the Czech Republic in the automatic qualification spot. Robert Page’s side now faces a difficult task in their remaining matches, with fixtures against Estonia, Belarus, and Belgium still to come.
