Armenia v Wales LIVE: Result and reaction from crucial Euro 2024 qualifier as Wales suffer huge blow with draw
Armenia 1-1 Wales: Euro 2024 qualification is taken out of Wales’s hands as they fail to find a winner in Yerevan
Wales suffered a huge blow in their penultimate Euro 2024 qualifier against Armenia, as a 1-1 draw in Yerevan took automatic qualification for the tournament out of their hands.
Rob Page’s side remain in the second automatic qualifying spot in Group D but will be leapfrogged by Croatia if they beat Latvia later this evening and if the Croats then do likewise against the Armenian on Tuesday they won’t be able to be caught by Wales, regardless of the result against Turkey in Cardiff at the same time.
Wales fell behind after just five minutes in Yerevan when they failed to clear a corner and Lucas Zelarayan brilliantly fired past Danny Ward but the visitors steadily gained a foothold and deservedly equalised in first-half injury time when Nair Tiknizyan headed into his own goal under pressure from Joe Rodon at a corner.
Yet the Dragons couldn’t find a winner in the second half and were fortunate not to lose the match as Vahan Bichakhchyan struck the underside of the bar and Ward made a couple of important saves with Armenia looking the side more likely to score. The dropped points now likely consign Wales to a play-off if they want to reach a third straight men’s European Championship finals.
Relive all the action with our live blog below:
Wales v Armenia: Key talking points
Repeat or revenge?
Wales have failed to beat Armenia in three meetings.
There were two draws in 2002 World Cup qualifying, 2-2 in Yerevan when John Hartson scored a brace, before a goalless Cardiff clash.
Wales were expected to breeze past Armenia – 71 places below them on the FIFA rankings when they met in June – but a 4-2 defeat damaged their Euro 2024 qualification hopes.
More than one Welsh player has mentioned avenging that loss in the build-up to the Yerevan return.
Wales v Armenia: Key talking points
Midfield promise
There was much wailing in Wales when Joe Allen hung up his international boots following the World Cup in Qatar.
Allen played a massive role over the last decade and midfield was seen as a problem area in the wake of his departure.
But Ethan Ampadu, with nearly 50 caps at the age of 23, has shown his leadership qualities in striking up an effective partnership with 19-year-old Jordan James.
The pair were magnificent in getting the better of Croatia’s much-vaunted midfield last month.
Wales v Armenia: Key talking points
Brennan’s back
The loss of Tottenham forward Brennan Johnson to injury last month was a big blow.
Johnson’s pace and movement can trouble any defence, but boss Rob Page plugged the gap against Croatia by utilising a three-man forward line of David Brooks, Harry Wilson and Kieffer Moore.
All three performed superbly with Wilson claiming a match-winning double.
Johnson now returns but only as a bench option – with Page opting to maintain the Brooks-Wilson-Moore frontline. Johnson is likely to have a huge role as a sub, with the pace of Daniel James also an option from the bench.
Wales v Armenia: Key talking points
Deja vu
The parallels between Wales’ successful Euro 2020 qualification and the current campaign are hard to resist.
Wales reached Euro 2020 with a fast finish – holding 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia to a Cardiff draw before winning in Azerbaijan and downing Hungary after back-to-back summer defeats.
Having suffered another pointless June and just beaten Croatia in Cardiff, Wales head to the Caucasus region again to take on Azerbaijan’s neighbour Armenia before finishing with a visit from Turkey.
Six more points will do.
Injured Aaron Ramsey serving as Wales’s lucky mascot in Armenia
Rob Page hopes the presence of Aaron Ramsey can help Wales realise their Euro 2024 dream after the injured captain joined them on their long trek to Armenia.
Midfielder Ramsey has not played since mid-September after damaging a knee tendon, missing last month’s stunning victory over World Cup semi-finalists Croatia that has left automatic qualification in Wales’ own hands entering the final two games.
The 32-year-old, however, has taken the unusual step of an injured player being present for Wales’ 4,600-round mile trip to Yerevan, one of European football’s most remote outposts.
“Rambo’s travelled with the lads, which is brilliant,” Page said ahead of the penultimate qualifier at the Republican Stadium, the scene of their only previous visit to this corner of Eastern Europe in 2001 – a game the manager played in.
“It’s the presence around the changing room. I used to say it with Gareth Bale. Aaron falls into the same category for me.”
Injured Aaron Ramsey serving as Wales’s lucky mascot in Armenia
Wales skipper Ramsey has not played since mid-September after damaging a knee tendon
Armenia team news
And here’s the Armenia team to take on Wales. It shows nine of the same starters from the side that won 4-2 in Cardiff back in June.
Wales team news - Brennan Johnson on the bench
Rob Page has kept faith with the XI that started the win over Croatia last time out. That means that despite Spurs star Brennan Johnson returning from injury, he’s only on the bench.
Bournemouth’s Kieffer Moore gets the start up front with Harry Wilson and David Brooks among the other attacking players in the starting XI. Ben Davies captains the side in the absence of Aaron Ramsey.
Wales starting XI: Danny Ward, Ben Davies, Joe Rodon, Chris Mepham, Connor Roberts, Neco Williams, Ethan Ampadu, Jordan James, David Brooks, Harry Wilson, Kieffer Moore.
Wales team news
Here’s the Wales team that will face Armenia this afternoon
What do Wales need to qualify for Euro 2024?
Wales are so close to qualifying for a third straight men’s European Championship but there’s still work to do to get over the line.
Rob Page’s men are currently second in qualifying Group D, with two more fixtures left to play and only the top two teams in each group earn automatic qualification for next summer’s Euros.
Wales face Armenia in Yerevan this afternoon before concluding their campaign by hosting Turkey on Tuesday. That is Turkey’s sole remaining game – they are currently clear at the top of the group on 16 points with qualification certain, and a win or draw will secure their spot as group winners.
Wales are currently level on 10 points with Croatia, each side having played six games. The 2018 World Cup finalists take on struggling Latvia before finishing their group efforts against Armenia.
Regardless of Croatia’s results, though, two wins from two will be enough for Wales to reach Euro 2024. This is due to their superior head-to-head record over Croatia, drawing the away fixture in Split in March and then securing a 2-1 win in Cardiff last month.
If Wales match or better Croatia’s final two results, they will finish ahead of them.
For all the permutations, including how Armenia can still qualify, check out the article below:
What do Wales need to qualify for Euro 2024?
Rob Page’s side are hoping to secure qualification for another major tournament
When is Wales vs Armenia and how can I watch it?
When is Wales vs Armenia?
The match takes place tonight, Saturday 18 November, with a kick off time of 2pm GMT, at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium in Armenia.
How can I watch it?
In the UK the match will be shown live on Viaplay Sports 1 and in the Welsh language on S4C.
Viaplay subscribers can also watch the contest on their website and app, while Channel 4 will show a free live stream in Welsh on their website.
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