Kevin de Bruyne once said he was bored of Wales vs Belgium matches.

By the look of joy and relief on his face at full time, one can bet he’s not so bored anymore!

Wales lost a classic of a match against Belgium last night, coming back from 3-0 down after 27 minutes to level at 3-3 before veteran maestro scored a late winner to break Cymru hearts.

In truth, Craig Bellamy’s side were extremely poor in the first half. While they can credibly argue that Romelu Lukaku’s opener via the penalty spot should never have been given, the capitulation in the next 20 or so minutes cost Wales the match.

True to his word, Bellamy picked a side with the intent to take the game to Belgium, to not die wondering, and, ultimately, to score more than the opposition.

The hosts, in a similar stage of learning their new manager Rudi Garcia’s methods, smothered Wales in the opening stages, with the Champions League midfield of Amadou Onana, Youri Tielemans and de Bruyne controlling and out-numbering Jordan James and Ethan Ampadu in the centre.

The penalty should not have been a penalty. The shot from de Bruyne hit Brennan Johnson’s arm as the Wales attacker attempted to pull his arms behind his back. There is no movement towards the ball or deliberate action, simply the opposite.

However, the way Wales were caught out from a short corner, and then the feeble attempts from Sorba Thomas and David Brooks – both of whom turned their backs – to block the incoming shot, was criminal.

Lukaku despatched the penalty to improve his extraordinary international goal scoring record. Six minutes later, captain Tielemans doubled the scoring as Connor Roberts was caught with a two on one down the Belgium left.

Wales were visibly rocked by the second goal and, while they kept the ball amongst their defenders, the midfield and attack were starved.

By comparison, Belgium grew in confidence and none more so than the third goal scorer Jeremy Doku. Picking the ball up on the right wing, he jinxed inside Ben Davies and Jordan James and fired a wonderful left footed shot into the bottom corner and beyond Karl Darlow.

At this point, many of the 4,500 Wales fans in the Red Wall were thinking solely of damage control and a post match pint to drown the sorrows.

The visitors mustered enough to force a couple of corners at the end of the first period and Wales were given a lifeline. Another soft penalty decision – this time in favour of Wales – was given by the Bosnian referee Irfan Peljto and Harry Wilson converted to take his international goal tally beyond Ryan Giggs.

At 3-1 and staring down the barrel of not only a first defeat as Wales coach, but also a first defeat as head coach, Bellamy could have panicked. He didn’t. No changes were made at halftime as Wales were told to make amends for their poor display so far.

Within the first seven minutes, Bellamy had his response. Wilson and Johnson – Wales’ two most talented players – combined with a flowing one-touch move down the right, before the former picked his head up and swept a perfectly weighted ball over to Sorba Thomas, arriving from the left to apply the first-time finish.

This was Bellamy’s Wales as we have come to know them in recent months. They pressed fiercely and, yes, they left spaces at the back for Doku et al, but the bravery they showed paid off.

It was another Wilson-Thomas-Johnson combination that brought the equaliser. Wilson’s looping cross found Thomas at the back post and the winger nodded it straight to the onrushing Johnson who headed home. Cue bedlam in the Red Wall.

Belgium panicked. Dodi Lukebaio – brought on at halftime – was hooked after less than half-an-hour. And yet, with the likes of Onana, Tielemans, and de Bruyne on the pitch, the home side found an extra level.

Wales were given a reprieve when Lukaku’s deflected strike was ruled out after another long VAR intervention, eventually deciding that the ball had rolled out of play in the build up to what was a sweeping move.

In the end, it was Wales’ eagerness that had brought them back into the game that cost them in the end. Mark Harris – brought on to hassle and harry the Belgian backline – left his position after a corner, giving Tielemans too much time and space to find de Bruyne unmarked at the back post to half-volley home.

While Wales ultimately came way from Brussels with nothing more than pride, Bellamy could help but smile when he asked about the game.

“I don’t like losing. I understand the game, but how you lose is more important,” he said.

“Who are you as a person? Who is your team? I see that and I’m beyond proud. We’re a good team.

“I understand results, I really do, but football means more to me than that. It always has done. I’d rather try something great and fail than do nothing and succeed.”

Despite now sitting in second and only three ahead of Belgium with the latter holding two very winnable games in hand on Bellamy’s side, Wales now have the ‘easier’ half of the group to come in September, October, and November.

The key to this is that they play North Macedonia and Belgium at home. Even against their old foes, Wales are unbeaten in four home games against Belgium and were the last team to beat them in World Cup and EURO qualifying back in 2015.

“To come to a top-eight team [in the world rankings] and can we play the way we want to play? I think the Belgium players saw it as well,” Bellamy added.

“Think I read something from the Belgium media – ‘an easy way to the USA’? There’s a lot of life in this group and today I saw a lot of life in this team.

“We aren’t going anywhere. I will have a couple of weeks now of recharging, but I’m beyond proud and really excited about the future.”

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