Wales v Iceland: Nations League – live

3 days ago 5

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Ten years ago, Gareth Bale scored this goal in a friendly against Iceland …

… which proved to be a dry run for this mirror-image peach, scored one month later in the Copa Del Ray final. For the record, Solvi Ottesen and Marc Bartra were the men left spluttering in Bale’s dust. Valgeir Fridriksson and Alfons Sampsted, occupying the full-back positions for Iceland tonight, will doubtless be thankful Bale is all about the golf these days.

Craig Bellamy makes four changes to his Wales starting XI after the goalless draw in Turkey. Danny Ward, Ben Cabango, Liam Cullen and Dan James are in for Karl Darlow, Connor Roberts, Jordan James and Sorba Thomas.

Iceland make three changes in the wake of their 2-0 win in Montenegro. Victor Pálsson replaces the injured Aron Gunnarsson; Alfons Sampsted replaces the suspended Logi Tómasson; and Isak Bergman Johannesson replaces Stefán Teitur Thórdarson, who drops to the bench.

The teams

Wales: Ward, Williams, Rodon, Cabango, Davies, Wilson, Sheehan, Johnson, Cullen, D James, Harris.
Subs: Allen, Colwill, Darlow, Dasilva, J James, King, Koumas, Mepham, Norrington-Davies, Roberts, Thomas.

Iceland: Valdimarsson, Fridriksson, Pálsson, Ingason, Sampsted, Johannesson, Traustason, Thorsteinsson, J Gudmundsson, Óskarsson, A Gudjohnsen.
Subs: Ólafsson, Petersson, Sigurgeirsson, Willumsson, Thórhallsson, Willumsson, Thórdarson, S Magnússon, J Magnússon, Baldursson, Ellertsson.

Referee: António Nobre (Portugal)
VAR: Fábio Oliveira Melo (Portugal)

Preamble

Will this wild and wonderful international break, packed full of exhilarating drama already – Kerem Aktürkoğlu’s missed penalty, Andrew Robertson’s last-gasp winner – deliver one last fingernail-bothering treat? The way Wales have been dishing up the entertainment since Craig Bellamy took over, all signs point firmly to yes. Wales could win automatic promotion to League A tonight. Or they could drop into a relegation play-off. Or they could secure a spot in the promotion play-offs, which could potentially lead to a March showdown with The Joe Jordan Country. Now that would make for some good watching. But let nobody get ahead of themselves: Wales have a job to do tonight in Cardiff, where a draw would be enough to keep promotion hopes alive … but the second-half runaround Iceland gave them in Reykjavik reminds them that nothing is certain. With Turkey simultaneously looking to seal top spot in Montenegro, a riveting couple of hours stretch out ahead. Kick-off in Cardiff is at 7.45pm. It’s on!