Bale equaliser keeps Welsh dreams alive

GARETH BALE was Wales’ saviour again as Ryan

Giggs’ side kept alive their Euro

2020 qualifying hopes with a 1-1 draw against

Croatia in Cardiff.

Bale (above) struck in first-half stoppage time – his 33rd goal extending his own Wales scoring record – to cancel out Nikola Vlasic’s ninth-minute strike for the World Cup finalists. The draw leaves Wales’ qualifying destiny out of their own hands heading into the final two rounds of games next month.

But wins away to Azerbaijan and at home to Hungary would be enough for a top-two spot, as long as Slovakia do not collect four points from their last two games.

Slovakia’s next game is in Croatia, and the Group E leaders will have plenty to play for as they have not booked their ticket to next summer’s European Championship.

Elsewhere, Italy became the first nation to qualify for the tournament on Saturday following a 2-0 win over Greece in Rome. A 63rd-minute penalty from Jorginho got the Italians on their way with Fernando Bernadeschi securing victory 15 minutes later.

Belgium and Russia followed the Italians’ lead yesterday as Michy Bathshuayi and Thomas Meunier scored in Belgium’s 2-0 win over Kazakhstan. Russia qualified in style, a Denis Cheryshev brace as well as Magomed Ozdoyez, Artyom Dyzuba and Alexander Golovin giving them a 5-0 win over Cyprus.

Spain’s qualification will have to wait until at least Wednesday after they were held 1-1 by Norway.

Saul Niguez’s second-half goal had put Spain in prime position to wrap up qualification early, but they failed to add to their advantage and were punished through a stoppage-time penalty scored by Joshua King.

Scotland recovered from their 4-0 humiliation against Russia on Thursday with a 6-0 win over San Marino. John McGinn grabbed his first career hat-trick in the first half while Lawrence Shackland, Stuart Findlay and Stuart Armstrong completed San Marino’s misery.