Wales forward Gareth Bale scored the winning goal against Belgium on Friday night to earn the Dragons a vital victory in the Euro 2016 qualifiers, that will have done wonders to his confidence after a season to forget domestically. He enjoyed a good performance against the Rode Duivels, and may well have sent his country to next year’s European Championships for the first time in their history.
“That (goal) was definitely the most important (of my career) I think. “For a lot of us out there it was our biggest international game. We rose to the occasion and got the win we needed. (Belgium) are no.2 in the world. If you’d offered us the chance to be top of the group after six games we’d have bitten your hand off. We are in a great position but there is still work to do. We will enjoy this victory now,” he said.
For his goal, the Real Madrid man latched onto a misplaced back-pass from midfielder Radja Nainggolan, bringing the ball down on his chest, before spinning and passing the ball through the legs of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois into the back of the net. It was goal full of composure and finesse about his touches on the ball, which has been in contrast to his fortunes in front of goal for the Spanish outfit.
Bale’s form considerable dipped for Real Madrtid in the run-in to their season, and saw them lose out on the La Liga title, as well as being knocked out by Juventus in the Champions League. Supporters have started to turn as a result, and reports have been linking him with a move back to the Premier League. However, the Welshman balked at the suggestions of being homesick and returning, and instead reiterated his desire to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu.
International football has given the 25-year-old respite from the pressure of playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world, and with Wales heavily relying on his magic to win games, Bale rose to the occasion. He put in a good performances against Belgium before being substituted late on, which has capped a fantastic qualifying campaign for the nation.
Wales are top of Group B after six games, with 14 points to their name. They have taken four points off group favourites Belgium, and are the only side left unbeaten. If Gareth Bale could make history in sending Wales to the European Championship next summer, it would rank high among his achievements, and would be a moment he’d never forget playing in the tournament.
