After Wales suffered last-gasp heartbreak against England on Thursday, the question was; how would they respond in their crucial Group B showdown against Russia?
The answer; better than anybody could have expected, with their three marquee players inspiring the Red Dragons into a 2-0 lead by half time in Toulouse tonight.
What a delicate chip by @aaronramsey for #WAL vs #RUS in the #EURO2016 https://t.co/435ewzwbxr
— Anurag Patra (@anuragpatra_) June 20, 2016
Joe Allen supplied Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey with a stylish 12th-minute opener; a sublime turn and pass from the Liverpool favourite, which was met with an equally-delightful dinked finish.
Swansea City defender Neil Taylor doubled Wales’s lead on 20 minutes. The full-back is clearly not a natural in front of goal, but he took his chance at the second attempt!
And, of course, Gareth Bale was involved. The Real Madrid superstar picked out the overlapping Taylor with an assist just as good as Allen’s, after dribbling through several Russians.
SECOND THAT MOTION! Taylor’s first shot saved but hammers home rebound. 2-0 #WAL #WALRUS #EURO2016 https://t.co/UwkaCjH9OM
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 20, 2016
Bale now has two goals and an assist in three matches at Euro 2016. Tonight his teammates have pulled their weight too, and Chris Coleman’s boys are on course to top Group B ahead of England.
Half-time scores:
Wales 2-0 Russia
England 0-0 Slovakia
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