Wales captain Ashley Williams ready for fierce atmosphere in World Cup Qualifier against Serbia
Sunday 11 June 2017 14:04, UK
Wales captain Ashley Williams is ready to embrace the hostile atmosphere in Serbia ahead of Sunday's World Cup Qualifier.
A raucous 50,000-plus capacity crowd is expected at Belgrade's Rajko Mitic Stadium, but Williams admits these are the challenges he "loves" and says Wales plan to silence their opposition.
Serbia lead the way in Group D at the halfway stage, four points clear of Wales and with a place in next summer's finals in Russia very much within reach but Williams, the Wales captain, is determined to get their World Cup ambitions back on track.
"As a team, we live for these nights," said Williams. "I live for them. It doesn't always come off. But, of late, this is the kind of game we love.
"When you're up against it in a different country, you're working hard and you're backing your mates up. Once you get in that groove it's difficult to beat. We're very resilient and we're a gritty team.
"This is another opportunity for us to go out there and show our togetherness, put in a big shift and hopefully get the result we want."
Manager Chris Coleman accepts his side cannot lose to Serbia if they are to top their World Cup group.
"If we are serious about qualifying outright it's a game we can't lose," Coleman said. "But we need to have it right to come here. They are seen as the strongest team in the group.
"If you look at our five games we've had one win and four draws. We've gone to Austria and the Republic of Ireland and drawn and we really should have beaten Serbia at home.
"I said at the start that as long as we are halfway in the group and in with a shout then there is a lot to play for.
"We are certainly in with a chance. There's 15 points to play for and any opposition will know they are in for a real 90 minutes against us."
Wales' hopes of beating Serbia have been damaged by the loss of talisman Gareth Bale.
The Real Madrid forward is serving a one-game ban after picking up his second yellow card of the competition in the goalless draw with the Republic in March.
Live International Football: FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifiers
However, Coleman, who admits to still being haunted by Wales' heavy defeat to Serbia in 2012, is expecting a big match performance from Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey.
Ramsey impressed and scored a late equaliser the last time Bale missed a competitive match against Belgium in October 2013.
"Aaron has the capabilities to run a football match. We have seen that," Coleman said. "Big players step up to the big occasions and he has always done that.
"People will look to Aaron without Gareth. I do that even when Gareth is there because he can do things most other players cannot."
