Rob Page’s men take on Austria in a World Cup qualification semi-final playoff in Cardiff
WALES will be just one game away from the World Cup finals if they defeat Austria at Cardiff City Stadium tomorrow.
Rob Page’s side go into the game off the back of a win against Belarus and a draw against Belgium back in November.
If they win, they’ll play at home against the winner of the other playoff semi-final match between Scotland and Ukraine, which has been postponed due to the Russia Ukraine war.
Wales will be without striker Kieffer Moore for the match after he broke his foot last month and first-choice goalkeeper Danny Ward is also unavailable after he underwent knee surgery last week.
Star man Gareth Bale is also a doubt after he missed Real Madrid’s game against Barcelona at the weekend.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said post-match that Bale was ill, raising doubts about his availability for Thursday.
Bale has only played 270 minutes of football this season, 193 of those were in the first three league games of the season.
However, Wales boast a strong squad that sees a return of some players such as Will Vaulks and Rabbi Matondo.
Fans are optimistic about Wales’ chances of progressing to the final.
Sam Harries, 22 said: “I’m excited now but I’m sure I’ll be terrified on the day.
“Joe Allen will be so important for us. He has been in games before and when he plays well, Wales play well.”
Marcus Haines from Llandeilo said: “I hope Page will be willing to experiment, but obviously not too much.
“If Bale is injured then I’d love to see Brennan Johnson start, he’s been superb for Nottingham Forrest this season and a chance this game is the least he deserves.”
Austria have a wealth of experience in their squad, and will be a tough test for Wales.
David Alaba, Marko Arnautovic and Marcel Sabitzer are just some of the players that Wales will need to keep an eye on.
Wales World Cup campaign so far
Wales began their qualifying campaign away in Belgium, where they suffered a 3-1 defeat despite a well-worked Harry Wilson goal.
But a strong display against the Czech Republic at a then empty Cardiff City Stadium gave Wales a 1-0 win.
What should’ve been two easy wins for Wales turned into a struggle to defeat Belarus and a dour 0-0 draw against Estonia.
An undefeated final four games which saw Wales draw with the Czech Republic and Belgium and win against Estonia and Belarus saw them finish second in Group E with 15 points and secure their playoff place.
If Wales win on Thursday and beat Scotland or Ukraine in the final they will qualify for their first World Cup since 1958. Kick off is at 7.45pm.
