Wales winger Gareth Bale has insisted that winning Group B gives his side a better chance of progressing far at Euro 2016.

Bale was among the scorers as Wales thrashed Russia 3-0 in Toulouse last night, which combined with England's 0-0 draw against Slovakia ensured that Chris Coleman's side qualified for the last 16 as group winners.

Wales will now face a third-placed team in the first knockout round, and Bale is confident that they can take advantage of topping the standings.

Asked whether finishing in first place gives them an advantage, Bale told reporters: "It definitely does, there are no easy games but this might give us a slightly easier game. Finishing top is better than second or third. It is good for us and we want to concentrate on ourselves and getting it right for the next game.

"It was an unbelievable occasion, right up there with anything I have done. Given the pressure of the game that was one of the best team performances I have ever been a part of. We spoke after the England game that we needed to be better in keeping the ball, and we did that.

"Obviously that created the space that allowed me, Rambo (Aaron Ramsey) and the midfielders to get on the ball more. And when you do that you get the chance to do what we do best. It was a great team performance, everything was spot on. There was pressure on the game and that makes the performance even better."

Bale is now the tournament's top scorer and is the first player to score in three consecutive group games at a European Championships since 2004.

Written by
Barney Corkhill