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Belgium v Wales: Group leaders face toughest test

SoccerNews in European Championships 14 Nov 2014

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Wales face their stiffest challenge of the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign so far when they visit Belgium on Sunday.

Chris Coleman’s men have exceeded expectations to sit top of Group B with seven points from their opening three matches.

Belgium – favourites to win the group – lurk three points further back having played a game fewer, and will want to build on their own solid start.

Marc Wilmots’ men thumped Andorra 6-0 in their opener before picking up a creditable 1-1 draw at Bosnia-Herzegovina – also the opposition for Wales’ only dropped points so far.

But Coleman has his sights set on picking up at least a point in Brussels, where Wales drew 1-1 in October 2013 with Belgium having already sealed qualification for the World Cup.

“We need to get something from every game, to win our home games and to go to places like Belgium and get something,” Coleman said. “We know Belgium are the favourites but we put pressure on ourselves to get something there if we’re going to do anything in the group.

“But I think it’s a great pressure to have and the type of pressure you want.

“After four or five games in previous campaigns we’ve been out of the running. Then we come strong at the end of the campaign and everybody says we need to do this at the start of the next one.

“We have this time. We’ve come out of the blocks, we’ve got a fighting spirit. We’ve got quality.

“We’re top of the group and we’re going to the team expected to win it.”

Belgium captain Vincent Kompany will miss out due to the calf problem that sidelined gim for Tuesday’s 3-1 friendly win over Iceland, while key players such as Thomas Vermaelen (thigh) and Kevin Mirallas (hamstring) also remain absent.

Coach Wilmots, meanwhile, has asked winger Adnan Januzaj to do the “exact opposite” to the instructions he is given by Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal and cut inside more, rather than hug the touchline.

Wales – usually blighted by withdrawals – have only seen Jonathan Williams pull out of the trip to Belgium, although long-term injuries to Sam Vokes (kinee) and Simon Church (collbarbone) leave Coleman desperately short of out-and-out strikers.

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