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Wales national football team
Euro Champ Qualifying | Group Stage
Oct 13, 2019 at 7.45pm UK
 
Croatia national football team

1-1

Bale (45')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Vlasic (9')

Joe Allen confident Wales can cope without him for crucial Euro 2020 clash

Joe Allen confident Wales can cope without him for crucial Euro 2020 clash
© Reuters
Ryan Giggs' side must win their final two games to be in with a chance of qualifying for Euro 2020.

Joe Allen has backed his Wales team-mates to take a big step towards Euro 2020 qualification without him next month.

Allen will miss the crunch clash in Azerbaijan on November 16 after being booked in the 1-1 home draw against Croatia on Sunday.

The influential Stoke midfielder was cautioned four minutes from time, and his third yellow card of the competition means he must sit out the penultimate qualifier in Baku.

"In hindsight Ben (Davies) was around on my cover and it was a tackle I probably didn't need to make," Allen said after Gareth Bale's 33rd Wales goal had earned Wales a share of the spoils against the World Cup finalists.

"It was an instinctive thing and unfortunately when you're on a tightrope of two yellows there's always that risk.

"Obviously I can't play a part in Azerbaijan, which is hugely disappointing.

"But I'm confident that the lads can take care of business, and hopefully I will be back in the fold for the last one with everything to play for."

Wales v Croatia – UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifying – Group E – Cardiff City Stadium
Gareth Bale's first-half strike against Croatia was his 33rd goal for Wales (Nigel French/PA)

Wales' final group game is at home to Hungary three days after their 6,000-mile round trip to Baku.

Ryan Giggs' side would definitely leapfrog Hungary, whose victory over Azerbaijan on Sunday moved them into second place,Β by winning their last two games.

If they were to do that, Slovakia would have to win their final two games – away in Croatia and at home to Azerbaijan – to deny Wales a place at next summer's European Championship.

Wales' cause is helped by the fact that leaders Croatia need a point to secure their qualification when Slovakia visit Rijeka on November 16.

"We're still well in this race," Allen said.

"We'd have loved to have come away from this camp with the two wins, but away to Slovakia and home to Croatia are not easy games.

"To come away from them unbeaten we've given ourselves a chance by winning the last two games.

"It's no easy feat but we've got the confidence and belief to do it. We've got every chance now."

Wales have been playing catch-up in the group since summer defeats in Croatia and Hungary.

But Allen feels progress has been made in holding Slovakia and Croatia to 1-1 draws during the last week.

"I think the two performances have been a big improvement," he said.

"You go back to the summer, two difficult away games but we were disappointed to come away with nothing.

"We gave ourselves a bit of a mountain to climb and we were in a difficult situation.

"But we've turned it around a little bit. There's plenty of work to be done of course, but we wanted to make sure that we're going into next month with every chance of qualifying.

"To come from a goal down against a top team like Croatia is a good result – and we're hoping it's going to play a big part in us qualifying."

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Wales manager Ryan Giggs on October 13, 2019
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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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