World Cup Play-Off Final 2022: Wales beat Ukraine 1-0 – Gareth Bale and Co. will be going to Qatar in Group B alongside England and USA with Wales after edging out Ukraine in the World Cup play-offs on Sunday. Wales will appear at the World Cup for the first time in 64 years after Andriy Yarmolenko’s own goal ensured a 1-0 qualifying play-off final win over Ukraine. Follow LIVE FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar updates with InsideSport.IN
England, USA, Wales and Iran – All you need to know about Group B teams…
World Cup Play-Off Final 2022: Gareth Bale and Wales beat Ukraine 1-0 to reach World Cup for the first time in 64 years, Watch Wales beat Ukraine HIGHLIGHTS
🏴👏 Wales make their #FIFAWorldCup return for the first time since 1958! #WCQ | @Cymru pic.twitter.com/KB1kml4LLK
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 5, 2022
World Cup Play-Off Final 2022: Gareth Bale and Wales beat Ukraine 1-0
Ukraine marked their first competitive match back after Russia’s invasion with a 3-1 play-off semi-final win over Scotland on Wednesday to tee up the winner-takes-all decider in Cardiff.
Wales were largely indebted to the heroics of Wayne Hennessey as Rob Page’s team held on to book their spot in Qatar alongside England, United States and Iran in World Cup Group B.
A long-range Viktor Tsygankov drive forced an early save from Hennessey, who tipped over a deflected cross from the Ukraine winger from the resulting corner.
Oleksandr Petrakov’s visitors, buoyed on by a vociferous away crowd, continued with their dominance as another smart Hennessey stop denied Roman Yaremchuk as he threatened with a drilled effort.
World Cup Play-Off Final 2022: Wales reach World Cup for the first time in 64 years
Hennessey kept out Oleksandr Zinchenko’s curler and the Wales goalkeeper’s plethora of first-half saves paid dividends, with Yarmolenko heading Bale’s goal-bound free-kick past Georgi Bushchan.
Aaron Ramsey angled a glorious chance from Kieffer Moore’s cutback wide, while Hennessey kicked away Tsygankov’s close-range prod in an entertaining second-half opening.
Ruslan Malinovskiy fired a deflected strike wide as Ukraine searched for an equaliser, with Brennan Johnson hitting the post and Bushchan denying Bale at the other end during a frenetic finish.
Hennessey was again the hero as he produced a fantastic stop against Artem Dovbyk in the closing stages to send Wales to the World Cup.
What’s Next?
Both sides must soon recover from this intense struggle for a place in Qatar, as they are required to fulfil their Nations League fixtures in the coming week: World Cup finalists Wales meet the Netherlands in midweek, while beaten Ukraine travel on to Dublin.
World Cup Play-Off Final 2022: Gareth Bale and Wales beat Ukraine 1-0 to reach World Cup for the first time in 64 years, Watch Wales beat Ukraine HIGHLIGHTS
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