Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Michael Jones

Wales vs Austria LIVE: World Cup play-off result and reaction as Bale double has Wales one game from World Cup

AP
Bale on World Cup ambitions

Follow all the reaction as Gareth Bale’s brilliant double sees Wales beat Austria 2-1 in the World Cup play-off semi-finals to move just one victory away from Qatar 2022.

Wales will now face either Scotland or Ukraine in the play-off final for a place in Qatar, however, that match has been postponed due to Russia’s continued invasion of the latter. If Rob Page’s men win that, they will reach the World Cup for just the second time in their history and for the first occasion since 1958.

Wales are now unbeaten in eight matches and although there was pre-match doubt over the fitness of Bale - who has played just 77 minutes of competitive football since November - he stepped up to deliver for his country the way he has done so many times before.

He curled in an exquisite free-kick in the first half and made it 2-0 with a snap finish into the corner after the break. Marcel Sabitzer pulled one back for Austria when his shot cruelly deflected in off Ben Davies but Wales held on to move just 90 minutes away from fulfilling their dream.

Follow all the reaction and analysis as Wales beat Austria:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.