- De Bruyne and Batshuayi put the Belgium two clear in the first half
- Moore strikes back early in the second half for Wales
- Belgium manager Roberto Martinez sent off in extra time
Kevin De Bruyne has played against Wales so often, he said earlier this week, that it is starting to become a “little bit boring” for him. To which the obvious response is: if this is how he plays when he is bored, then Belgium’s World Cup opponents should be living in genuine fear of an engaged, interested De Bruyne in Qatar.
The Manchester City midfielder was not just on a different level to this under-strength Wales side in Brussels. He was also operating on a higher plane than all of his team-mates and, one can only assume, every other footballer in Europe.
In the first half here it was a one-man savaging at times, and on another day De Bruyne would have scored four goals before the break. Such was his dominance against a Wales side that had, admittedly, been severely weakened by a series of injuries in key areas, that it almost felt unfair when he was not substituted at half-time.
Wales manager Rob Page has built a sturdy team, though, and these are not players who readily accept when they are beaten. They weathered De Bruyne’s first-half pummelling and, in the second half, threw a few heavy punches of their own. Kieffer Moore, ever the threat with his enormous frame, headed in at the back post to underline his quality at this level.
It was not enough to avoid defeat, and relegation to League B of the Nations League remains a danger, but the second half did provide encouragement for Wales — not least because of the players they were missing and the formidable nature of the opposition.
Wales and their supporters have thoroughly enjoyed defying the odds in recent years, but even this bunch of believers might have grimaced at the team sheets here. This was almost a full-strength Belgium team, aside from Romelu Lukaku, and it was a long way from being the best of Wales.
The current injury list makes for brutal reading for Page, who was without all four of Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen, Ben Davies and Harry Wilson. Gareth Bale, meanwhile, was only deemed fit enough to start the evening on the bench as he continues to manage his body.
A measure of Belgium’s experience and quality could be seen in the total number of caps in their starting lineup: 899. For Wales, by contrast, there were just 364 appearances between the starting players, and goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey contributed more than 100 of those on his own.
A significant gap between the teams on paper, then, and in truth there was a significant gap between them on the pitch, in the first half at least. De Bruyne side-footed Belgium into the lead within 10 minutes, and could have scored three more by himself before half an hour had passed. One of his strikes hit the post, another was scrambled off the line and a third flew over the bar.
The likes of De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans were providing an education for the Welsh midfield in these moments. If Wales midfielder Matt Smith, who plays for MK Dons, had been allowed to take notes, he would have filled an entire notebook within 20 minutes.
De Bruyne was simply doing whatever he pleased, seeing different angles and finding different spaces. It was his surging run that cut Wales open for the second, and his cross that allowed Michy Batshuayi a simple tap-in.
But with Moore in attack, Wales will always have a chance. They soon had their goal, with Moore using his aerial power to climb at the back post and nod Brennan Johnson’s cross beyond Thibaut Courtois.
Wales pushed for more, causing genuine stress for Belgium in spells. So much so that Roberto Martinez, their manager, was sent off for wasting time at the end. But the best Welsh efforts were ultimately not enough to undo the damage that De Bruyne had earlier caused.
Belgium vs Wales: as it happened
'The rules are so stupid'
Belgium midfielder Kevin de Bruyne speaking to S4C:
"I think we fully deserved to win, we dominated the first half and created a lot of chances. Wales were playing man to man so there were more options in the first half.
"Then we started the second half poorly, we have to keep the ball as Wales were playing so deep and wait for the right moments."
Asked about Belgium's penalty shout, De Bruyne said: "I was already running to the corner, the rules are so stupid though, it should then be a corner."
'We can take positives out of it'
Kieffer Moore speaks to BBC Radio Wales:
"It was always going to be hard but I think we can take positives out of it. We know the task ahead and now all the focus is on Sunday.
"We're in a good place. It's our last game at home before the World Cup on Sunday so it would be great to head to Qatar on a positive note."
'In the second half we had a different mentality'
Brennan Johns gives his post-match thoughts to S4C
"It was game of two halves, in the first we lacked belief and didn't know what we could bring to the game. In the second half we had a different mentality and did ourselves proud. When the big guy [Kieffer Moore] is up top you have to hang it up for him, he did the rest.
"Rob [Page] told us to belief in ourselves at half time, we're in a World Cup and Nations League's Group A, we showed that in the second half. It's a massive game on Sunday [against Poland], we want to be in this league and play the best teams in the world. We'll be ready for it."
'Freedom to go where he wants for Belgium'
By Sam Dean in Belgium
Kevin De Bruyne's performance for Belgium tonight, especially in the first half, was ridiculous. On a different level to everyone else. Seems to have more freedom to go where he wants for Belgium - City are obviously more structured*
*I'm not saying Belgium are better than City
Poland next
Wales have a chance to stay in the upper echelon of the the Nations League on Sunday after Poland lost to the Netherlands tonight.
To remain in the top tier, tier A, Wales need to beat Poland on Sunday night at the Cardiff City Stadium and they need to do so - because of head-to-head - with at least two goals scored.
78 min: Belgium 2-1 Wales
Overturned. That wasn't even close to being a penalty.
Feels wrong to call that a reprieve for Wales as that was a great challenge.
Gareth Bale was booked during the melee there...not sure what for.
Then the ref gives Wales the goal kick despite seeing the ball go out off Morrell on the replay. Strange few minutes from our Turkish referee here.
70 min: Belgium 2-1 Wales
Dries Mertens has to shoot as he dribbles cleverly to the edge of the box but he tries to overplay it and suddenly Wales are away. Dan James does well to hold the ball up and then gets another great ball to the back post. Kieffer Moore is purpose built for a goal like that but he's already off.
'Classic big-man goal'
By Sam Dean in Belgium
Wales back in the game. Kieffer Moore with a classic big-man-at-the-back-post header, from Brennan Johnson's cross. Moore is a real threat at this level: that's his ninth goal in 27 international appearances.
If you're interested in reading more about the former lifeguard and personal trainer, I would humbly recommend our interview with him in August.
Tough night so far
Danny Gabbidon is unimpressed with what he's seen from Wales tonight. This is what he said on BBC Radio Wales at half-time.
"Apart from the opening five or six minutes, it's probably been the worst performance I have seen from a Wales team for a long time."
"Belgium ask different questions of you with their movement and quality and we really have been found wanting."
'He's playing a different game'
By Sam Dean in Belgium
Kevin De Bruyne is seemingly playing a different game to everyone else tonight. He's seeing different angles and finding different spaces, and the Welsh midfield does not seem able to do anything about it.
It's only half-time here and the Manchester City midfielder has scored one, assisted one, hit the post, had a shot cleared off the line, fired narrowly over the bar and had a one-versus-one saved by Wayne Hennessey.
It would be safe to say that Wales are missing Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen, their usual central midfielders. Matt Smith, of League One side MK Dons, is having a difficult evening.
'Struggling to handle Kevin De Bruyne'
By Sam Dean in Belgium
The Wales midfield of Ethan Ampadu and Matt Smith is struggling to handle Kevin De Bruyne here, which isn't particularly surprising. De Bruyne has scored one, hit the post, had a shot cleared off the line and now created a goal for Michy Batshuayi.
37 min: Belgium 2-0 Wales
Batshuayiis the goalscorer but this is all about Kevin de Bruyne again. He's found by Meunier after a clever run into the box. He uses his strength to hold off the Wales defence before whipping an inch-perfect ball across the six-yard box to find Batshuayi at the back post for the tap in.
27 min: Belgium 1-0 Wales
De Bruyne is on fire here and nearly has his second. n fact he could have four already.
The Belgians counter attack rapidly again and feed De Bruyne 25 yards out. He curls one to the right of the Hennessey but it smashes into the post and bounces away.
The keeper had no chance there.
24 min: Belgium 1-0 Wales
De Bruyne is clean through down the left and you think for all the world that he's going to slide it past Hennessey until he gets the ball caught under his feet.
Carrasco and Batshuayi then each have chances that they may feel they should have done better with.
Wales are on the rack here.
18 min: Belgium 1-0 Wales
Wales do have some threat here but they just can't find any quality in the final third. The crossing, in particular, has been poor.
At the other end, Kiefer Moore gives the ball away and Belgium swarm forward. De Bruyne unleashes a shot from the edge of the box but it sails over the bar.
15 min: Belgium 1-0 Wales
A huge chance goes begging for Belgium.
Carrasco has Mepham in knots and he weaves into the area and squares the ball across the six-yard box.
He finds an unmark Tielemans in the box but he scuffs his left-foot shot wide.
Moments later, De Bruyne puts Batshuayi in with a ball over the top but Wales deal with the danger well.