Wales faced a challenging match against England, suffering a 3-0 defeat in a friendly at Wembley. The game started poorly for Wales, with Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins, and Bukayo Saka scoring early for England. Despite an improved second half, Wales managed only 10 attempts, with just two testing Jordan Pickford. Their expected goals (xG) stood at 0.5 compared to England's 3.0 from 17 shots.
Craig Bellamy expressed disappointment in the team's performance, especially with an important World Cup qualifier against Belgium approaching. He acknowledged the difficulty of playing against strong teams like England and emphasised the need to learn from this experience. "First 20 minutes were tough," Bellamy said. "It's a very difficult place to come
without starting the way we did. "
Under Bellamy's leadership, Wales initially went unbeaten in nine games (five wins, four draws). However, they have now lost three of their last four matches. Bellamy is determined not to abandon the strategies that brought them early success, despite recent setbacks. He noted the importance of teamwork and maintaining their defensive structure against high-quality opponents.
Reflecting on past experiences, Bellamy mentioned previous challenges against top teams like Belgium and England. "We were 3-0 down to Belgium early," he recalled. He stressed that these teams can exploit weaknesses due to their quality but highlighted the value of such matches for growth.
Wales currently sits third in Group J, trailing leaders North Macedonia by just one point with three qualifiers remaining. They are set to face Belgium at Cardiff City Stadium on Monday. Bellamy remains hopeful that lessons learned from recent defeats will aid their performance in upcoming crucial matches.
Despite recent losses, Bellamy remains optimistic about his team's potential. He believes sticking to their strengths will give them a better chance against formidable opponents. "To give ourselves a big chance, we have to stick to what we do," he stated.
The match against England served as a reminder of the challenges posed by top-tier teams. However, it also highlighted areas for improvement as Wales prepares for their next World Cup qualifier.
