Spain, Italy cruise but Wales held
Print Edition
WALES conceded an agonizing late equalizer as Serbia battled to a 1-1 draw in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday as former champions Italy and Spain both won 4-0.
Also, the Republic of Ireland stunned Austria 1-0 in Vienna and is top of Group D on 10 points, with Serbia second on eight and Wales third on six.
Gareth Bale rocketed Wales into a 30th-minute lead in Cardiff after Hal Robson-Kanu dispossessed Matija Nastasic and fed the ball to the Real Madrid forward, who cracked home a powerful snap shot to make it 1-0.
But Aleksander Mitrovic was fastest to react with four red shirts around him when Antonio Rukavina whipped in an inviting cross to level for the visitors late in the game.
“It was a disappointing result, we feel like we threw away two points. We’re at home, 1-0 up after 85 minutes, it’s two points lost,” Bale admitted after the game.
It was the third game in a row the Welsh have gone ahead only to draw.
The Irish top Group D thanks to a James McClean strike three minutes after half-time in Vienna.
“This is going to be a very tight finish. But this has been a splendid start for us and we are delighted with the 10 points,” said Ireland boss Martin O’Neill.
Spain and Italy continue to set the pace at the helm in Group G and both have 10 points.
Spain played at Granada where Macedonia’s Darko Velkovski scored a 34th-minute own goal before Votolo on 63 minutes, Nacho Monreal (83) and veteran striker Aritz Aduriz (85) gave it a comfortable win.
Taking on minnow Liechtenstein, Italy’s Anfrea Belotti scored either side of strikes from Ciro Imobile and Antonio Candreva.
Eran Zahavi converted a penalty in the 18th to set Israel on its way with Dan Einbinder and Eliran Atar making sure it beat Albania 3-0 in Tirana.
Iceland failed to replicate its Euro 2016 heroics in a 0-2 defeat in Croatia in Group I.
Croatia, now top of the group with 10 points from four games, finished the match with 10 men after Ivan Perisic was sent off at the death.
Also in Group I, Turkey revived its slim hopes of making it to Russia in 2018 with a 2-0 home victory over Kosovo in Antalya.
Burak Yilmaz and Volkan Sen scored within four minutes of one another in the second half to leave Kosovo bottom on just a solitary point.
Georgia and Moldova drew 1-1 in Tbilisi to remain rooted at the bottom in Group D.
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