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Wales national football team
Euro Champ Qualifying | Group Stage
Nov 19, 2019 at 7.45pm UK
 
Hungary national football team

2-0

Ramsey (15', 47')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Ryan Giggs looking to emulate 2016 with Euro 2020 qualification

Ryan Giggs looking to emulate 2016 with Euro 2020 qualification
© Reuters
Victory over Hungary at home on Tuesday will take the Dragons into their second major tournament in four years.

Ryan Giggs says his Wales players are ready to recreate the "amazing" atmosphere of Euro 2016 by qualifying for another European Championship.

Wales reached the semi-finals in France after ending a 58-year wait to play at a major tournament, with football fever gripping the nation like never before.

Giggs' side will book their place at Euro 2020 by beating Hungary in Cardiff on Tuesday, ensuring there is no need for the play-off spot which they have already secured.

Wales – UEFA Euro 2016 – Wales Homecoming
Wales' Euro 2016 stars came to a heroes' welcome after football fever gripped the nation (Paul Harding/PA)

Asked whether qualification would atone for his failure to grace a major tournament as a player, Giggs said: "It's not about me. It's about the country as a whole.

"The team in 2016, everyone, whether you were involved or a fan or watching on TV, it was amazing.

"If we can recreate that atmosphere, it's fantastic. It's not about individuals. As a player, that's over now. Now I'm a manager.

"I think we've put ourselves in a great position. We've still got one game to go and a tough game, so we'll need to win that to qualify."

Giggs was an unpopular choice among many Wales fans to succeed Chris Coleman in January 2018.

The former Manchester United player has often had his poor attendance record as a Wales player held against him.

But Giggs has won over some of his critics during a five-game unbeaten run, which has shown steady signs of progress and taken Wales to the brink of Euro 2020 qualification.

"We just need to show the quality we've shown lately," he said.

"We have got that momentum. I think we'll have to be better than we were the other night (when Wales beat Azerbaijan 2-0 away) if we are going to win.

"But I believe in the players. I believe in the group that we've got and the qualities they possess.

"Experience counts for a lot, but what I've seen in the young players is coming in and being fearless. So they help each other.

Azerbaijan v Wales – UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifying – Group E – Bakcell Arena
Kieffer Moore (second left) celebrates scoring in the 2-0 victory over Azerbaijan on Saturday ( Bradley Collyer/PA)

"The younger players can inspire the older players and vice versa.

"We've got a good balance of players who've been there and done it, and also players who are hungry to recreate what the other lads did in 2016."

Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey are both available after coming through the Azerbaijan game unscathed after their recent injury problems.

Skipper Bale played an hour in Baku before being replaced by Ramsey, who was making his first appearance in Euro 2020 qualifying.

Ramsey has yet to play 90 minutes this season and might be used as an option from the bench again, but Joe Allen is set to return from suspension to replace Joe Morrell.

"As always, it's a bit of a balancing act," Giggs said.

"The players you more or less know who won't be able to do 90 minutes, and that will impact on the selection."

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Kieffer Moore of Wales celebrates scoring on October 10, 2019
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Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Spain Spain870121
Q Scotland flag Scotland852117
3 Norway Norway832311
4 Georgia Georgia82248
5 Cyprus Cyprus80080

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q France France871022
Q Netherlands Netherlands860218
3 Greece Greece841313
4 Ireland Rep. Ireland82066
5 Gibraltar flag Gibraltar80080

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England862020
Q Italy Italy842214
3 Ukraine Ukraine842214
4 Macedonia N. Macedonia82248
5 Malta flag Malta80080

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Turkey Turkey852117
Q Croatia Croatia851216
3 Wales flag Wales833212
4 Armenia Armenia82248
5 Latvia Latvia81073

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Albania national flag Albania843115
Q Czech Republic Czech Republic843115
3 Poland Poland832311
4 Republic of Moldova Moldova824210
5 Faroe Islands Faroe Islands80262

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Belgium Belgium862020
Q Austria Austria861119
3 Sweden Sweden831410
4 Azerbaijan Azerbaijan82157
5 Estonia Estonia80171

Group G

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Hungary Hungary853018
Q Serbia Serbia842214
3 Montenegro Montenegro832311
4 Lithuania Lithuania81346
5 Bulgaria Bulgaria80444

Group H

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Denmark Denmark1071222
Q Slovenia Slovenia1071222
3 Finland Finland1060418
4 Kazakhstan Kazakhstan1060418
5 Northern Ireland flag N. Ireland103079
6 San Marino flag San Marino1000100

Group I

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Romania Romania1064022
Q Switzerland Switzerland1045117
3 Israel Israel1043315
4 Belarus Belarus1033412
5 Kosovo flag Kosovo1025311
6 Andorra flag Andorra100282

Group J

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal10100030
Q Slovakia Slovakia1071222
3 Luxembourg flag Luxembourg1052317
4 Iceland Iceland1031610
5 Bosnia Bosnia H'vina103079
6 Liechtenstein flag Liechtenstein1000100


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