Netherlands vs Wales. UEFA Nations League Group A4.
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Match report from Nations League Group A4 as Wales fall to a third defeat in four games
Tuesday 14 June 2022 22:19, UK
Wales remain winless from their four Nations League matches after falling to a dramatic 3-2 defeat to Group A4 leaders Netherlands despite Gareth Bale equalising in injury time.
Netherlands struck twice within six first-half minutes as Noa Lang opened the scoring with a fine finish before Cody Gakpo found the bottom corner with a placed effort.
The hosts were in complete control but Brennan Johnson pulled a goal back at the end of a rare breakaway by finishing clinically.
Wayne Hennessey made several good saves in the second half to keep Wales within touching distance before substitute Bale kept his cool to level from the penalty spot in injury time.
But they immediately conceded from the restart as Memphis Depay latched onto a long ball forward to steer an effort home and break Welsh hearts.
Louis van Gaal's side hold a three-point lead at the top of the group while Wales are rock bottom with just a draw to show for their efforts.
Vincent Janssen, playing his first match for Netherlands since October 2017, fired wide with a tame shot before Lang forced Wayne Hennessey into his first save.
The hosts controlled the opening exchanges with their reward coming in the 17th minute as Lang turned away from two Wales defenders before firing powerfully into the bottom corner.
Then Gakpo quickly added a second as he tucked home neatly after his initial shot was blocked but fell perfectly back to him to guide an effort past Hennessey.
Wales, though, equalised with their only shot at goal after Dan James won possession off Teze in the Netherlands half. Harry Wilson played in Johnson, who let the ball run across his body before firing first time in off a post.
The hosts remained calm despite the setback with Janssen shooting narrowly wide before the break and Gakpo shooting powerfully straight at Hennessey at the beginning of the second half.
Johnson had little service but when Wales were able to get the ball into him, he used it well, forcing Jasper Cillessen into a low save.
Netherlands were equally frustrated by Hennessey as he parried from both Lang and Janssen. His saves kept Wales in the match which led to a late penalty for the visitors as Tyrell Malacia fouled Connor Roberts in the box when trying to win a header.
Bale kept his cool to roll the ball into the bottom corner for what looked like a valuable point on the road until Depay put the hosts back in front within sixty seconds.
Wales captain Gareth Bale told S4C: "It's hard to take but I'd rather this happen now and we address it than it happen at the World Cup. We have to use these Nations League games to improve and get better.
"Of course we all know what happened but how can we stop that happening again? We need to address that and make sure it doesn't happen in the World Cup.
"I was saying in the changing room, we're in League A playing against big teams, of course we are disappointed we conceded late, but we're competing with these big teams in every game now and it's just the finer details we need to iron out. If we can do that it will put us in a good place for the World Cup."
Netherlands will face Poland on the 22nd of September, while Wales will travel to Belgium.
