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Wales national football team
World Cup | Qualifiers
Sep 10, 2013 at 7.45pm UK
 
Serbia national football team

0-3

FT(HT: 0-2)
Djordjevic (8'), Kolarov (39'), Markovic (55')

Live Commentary: Wales 0-3 Serbia - as it happened

Read how Wales slumped to a heavy home defeat to Serbia in their Group A World Cup qualifier, ending any faint hope of qualification for next year's tournament in Brazil.
2

Both Wales and Serbia knew that achieving qualification for next year's World Cup was nigh-on impossible headed into tonight's Group A match in Cardiff.

It was a game dominated by the visitors as Wales crumbled in front of a far-from-full Cardiff City Stadium that did get to see superstar Gareth Bale make a second-half cameo.

Read how it all unfolded in our minute-by-minute live updates below.


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Good evening everyone! We're an hour away from kickoff at the Cardiff City Stadium as Wales welcome Serbia.

We're still waiting on team news from the Welsh capital. Will we see the world's most expensive player, Gareth Bale, in action? He didn't feature at all in Macedonia on Friday but is expected to at least come on as a sub tonight.

BREAKING TEAM NEWS! Gareth Bale only makes the bench for Wales. Full lineups to follow.

WALES XI: Myhill; Gunter, Matthews, Gabbidon, Davies; Crofts, Ramsey, King, Ledley; Bellamy, Vokes

SERBIA XI: Stojkovic, Nastasic, Ivanovic, Bisevac, Tadic, Kolarov, Radovanovic, Fejsa, Dordevic, Duricic, Markovic

Both sides are without key centre-backs as Ashley Williams and Neven Subotic miss out.

SUBS!: And here are the two benches this evening:

Wales: Hennessey, John, Dummett, Church, Vaughan, Bale, Robson-Kanu, Collison, Fon Williams
Serbia: Kahriman, Rukavina, Maksimovic, Petrovic, Milvojevic, Tomovic, Krstcic, Aleksic

The other game in this group tonight sees Scotland travel to Macedonia. Join Barney Corkhill for updates on that one here.

It's odd to see Bale being left on the bench once again. Yes, the Real Madrid man barely had a competitive kick in pre-season but surely if he's even half-fit then he's worth playing.

Serbia come into this match on the back of an encouraging 1-1 draw at home to Croatia on Friday. Both teams had a man sent off so that's why Nemanja Matic doesn't feature for the visitors tonight.

Find all of our live commentaries for tonight's World Cup qualifiers by clicking here.

REFEREE WATCH: The officiating team this evening are from Poland and the man in charge is Szymon Marciniak.

When these sides last met in the reverse fixture almost 12 months ago to the day it was a night to forget for Wales as the Serbians trounced them 6-1!

WHO?! So who do we recognise in the Serbian lineup? Goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic had a brief loan spell in England with Wigan while in defence the presence of Matija Nastasic and Aleksandr Kolarov of Manchester City and Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic are easily recognisable.

Perhaps Serbia's biggest threat up front is Filip Djuricic. He is the country's top scorer in qualifying with three goals. Mr Bale has four.

UPDATE: Over in Luxembourg, Northern Ireland have just taken the lead through Martin Paterson on the quarter-hour mark.

PREDICTION TIME! Just 10 minutes until we get underway in Cardiff so it's time for my thoughts on the match ahead. I can't see Wales getting the win without star man Bale in the lineup and am going to side with Serbia. 2-0 win for the visitors.

The two captains, Ivanovic and Ramsey, line up next to each other in the tunnel. Wales are in all-red while Serbia are all in white.

Before we have the national anthems both captains declare that they will play fairly on microphones to the stadium. An odd moment as Ivanovic murmurs the message in Serbian. He's a chirpy lad!

A rousing anthem, the Serbian one is. Now for the Welsh one, which is being sung by Carrie Thompson.

The Cardiff City stadium is far from full just before kickoff. Not expecting a brilliant atmosphere. Hopefully the football on the pitch will cause a stir.

KICKOFF! We're underway in the Welsh capital as Serbia kick off.

Good start for Wales as Vokes knocks his header down for the onrushing Ramsey. The Arsenal man, who has started the season in fine form, moves the ball onto his right foot before digging out a cross for Vokes that's well cleared.

CHANCE! Fist real opening is the visitors as Crofts miscontrols the ball in the middle that presents Tadic with the ball. The number 10 prods it on for Markovic who leans back when looking for the far corner so puts it over.

Ramsey looks for the ball at all times and without Bale in the team he really is the one man who can propel the hosts to victory. Bellamy is perhaps the other key man, he's started on the right wing.

GOAL! Wales 0-1 Serbia (Djordjevic)

First blood to the visitors as Kolarov plays a nice one-two before whipping in a cross that Djuricic powerfully heads goalwards. Myhill keeps it out but only parries the ball into the air. It drops onto the head of Djordjevic who, unchallenged, loops it into the far corner. The Welsh defence were statue-esque as they waited for a flag on the far side that never came. Replays show that the Serbian number 18 did look a long way off when Djuricic initially headed at goal.

I take back what I said about the wrong call being made. Djordjevic was actually being played onside by Crofts on the byline who was trying to block Kolarov's cross.

Serbia come close to a second as a well-worked corner routine sees Tadic shoot low from the edge of the area. His shot looks destined for the corner but takes a ricochet and Wales survive.

The camera pans to Bale on the bench. Apparently he won't play any more than 30 minutes this evening but surely Coleman will want to bring him on if the hosts are still down at half time?

UPDATE: Dear me, Northern Ireland have just conceded a goal in Luxembourg just before half-time. 1-1 it is there at the break.

Wales did start well but from the fifth minute or so onwards it's been ALL Serbia. Wales target man Vokes has barely had a touch yet.

Wales continue to look shaky defensively as Ivanovic meets a set piece but doesn't beat Myhill. The Chelsea man has a good goalscoring record for a defender.

IMAGE! Here's Djordjevic heading Serbia into the lead:

Serbia's Filip Dordevic heads in the opening goal against Wales during their World Cup qualifying match on September 10, 2013© Getty Images

Ramsey charges through the middle and he's picked out by Ledley but the ball just bounces ahead of the Arsenal man and through to Stojkovic.

Worrying sight for Wales and Arsenal fans as Ramsey is run off the pitch and slips and bangs into the electronic advertising boards. Looks nasty.

Ramsey is still off the pitch but it looks like he will be OK to continue, despite drawing blood from the fall.

Serbia have clearly been working on their set-piece routines but the latest 'clever' free kick doesn't come off and draws a big jeer from the home fans.

BRILLIANT SAVE! Crofts is having a shocker out there! Again he gives the ball away to present the white shirts with the ball. Fejsa is played in and opens his body to look for the far corner, with Myhill making a strong save low to his left.

GOAL! Wales 0-2 Serbia (Kolarov)

WHAT A HIT SON! The left foot of Kolarov is a wand and he's just proved why with an outrageous rising shot that rockets into the top corner, giving Myhill absolutely no chance. Some goal.

CHANCE! Immediate opportunity for Wales to pull one back as Vokes is left unmarked in the middle but steers his header wide of the goal.

It's very, very quiet inside the Cardiff City Stadium now as Serbia continue to look confident on the ball. Wales haven't helped themselves but they deserve to be behind.

Surely Bale will want to come on just because he will feel the need to out-do Kolarov?!

King with a pass forward that sums up the hosts first half as it bobbles harmlessly out of play.

Just the one minute of time added on.

HALF-TIME: Wales 0-2 Serbia

Real stinker from Coleman's men there. The first couple of minutes were OK but after that it was a dominant performance from the visiting Serbs.

Novak Djokovic may have failed to delight the Eastern nation by losing to Rafael Nadal in the US Open yesterday, but it looks like the footy team will head home happy.

STATS! The numbers really do back up an oppressive first-half Serbian performance. The visitors have had 60% of the ball and seven shots to Wales's solitary one.

As it stands, Wales will be slumping to the bottom of Group A because of their inferior goal difference, with Macedonia and Scotland goalless in Skopje.

It's also 0-0 in the matches involving England and Ireland in Ukraine and Austria respectively.

UPDATE: Scotland take the lead against Macedonia through Ikechi Anya, who is making his full international debut.

KICKOFF! The red shirts of Wales get us underway in the second half. No half-time changes from either manager.

Same old story for the hosts as they cheaply give the ball away inside their own half. This time nothing comes of it though.

UPDATE: Luxembourg turn it around against Northern Ireland and now lead 2-1! Just 10 minutes left for the visitors to net an equaliser.

YELLOW! The first name to go into the book is Crofts, whose evening goes from bad to worse.

Bale continues to warm up on the touchline. If it remains 0-2 for much longer will Coleman even feel it's worth risking his star man?

UPDATE: And equalise Northern Ireland do! It's Gareth McAuley with the goal that levels it up at 2-2 in Luxembourg.

The ball breaks to Ramsey and he just has one man in front of him. He works it onto his right before slicing a shot way wide from 20-odd yards. The Arsenal man has moved a little further forward as he looks to inspire a Welsh fightback.

WALES 0-3 SERBIA (MARKOVIC)

Game over. It's ever so easy for the visitors as Tadic cuts in from the right before finding Markovic on the left of the area. He feints several times before finding the overlapping Kolarov whose cutback ricochets to Radovanovic. His shot is well saved by Myhill but the rebound falls to Markovic whose low shot squirms under the Welsh keeper's dive.

WALES SUBS! The crowd go wild as Bale is introduced for King. David Vaughan also comes on for the terrible Crofts.

UPDATE: It gets more ridiculous in Luxembourg as the hosts retake the lead, going 3-2 up against Northern Ireland with just a minute left.

Bale's been given a free role for the hosts here. Basically, get the ball and do what you can.

SAVE! Every time Bale gets the ball the crowd cry "SHOOOOT!" The Madrid man obliges, hitting a wicked shot that dips in front of Stojkovic, who makes a solid save. The ball comes back out for Bale who strikes powerfully again but pulls it wide.

SERBIA SUB: The visitors make their first change as Luka Milivojevic takes the place of Radavanovic.

UPDATE: Macedonia equalise against Scotland in the other Group A match.

A Serbia corner is headed half-clear to Fejsa who meets the ball powerfully first time but blazes it high over the bar.

UPDATE: Scotland restore their lead against Macedonia as Shaun Maloney scores a free kick.

WALES SUB: Coleman makes his third and final change, with Hal Robson-Kanu replacing Ledley.

To be fair, Bale has made a big difference since coming on. Every time he gets the ball it looks like something might happen. Will he perform for Real Madrid this season?

Holland have just beaten Andorra to book their place at next year's finals in Brazil, becoming the first European team to qualify.

Delicious footwork from the dynamic Fejsa to escape multiple challenges in the middle. He's been the best player on the field tonight.

UPDATE: It could be goodnight Vienna for Ireland's dreams of reaching the World Cup as Austria take the lead in the final 10 minutes through Bayern Munich's David Alaba.

Into the final five minutes we go in Cardiff. Bale's long range effort is the only time that Wales have worked Stojkovic. A poor, poor night at the office for Coleman's men.

YELLOW! Fejsa with a blemish on his performance as he's booked for tugging back Ramsey. He'll miss the next match now.

SERBIA SUB: Tadic's night is over as Krsticic comes on for the final few moments.

WHAT A SAVE! Bale lines up the 35-yard free kick from Fejsa's tug and wallops it at goal, with Stojkovic somehow arcing his body to push it out of play. Maybe Cristiano Ronaldo's free-kick duties aren't so nailed on this season?

CHANCE! Wales are having a late go to nick a goal and almost grab one as the ball hits Vokes with him knowing little about it and flies over. Two minutes added on.

SERBIA SUB: Fejsa is taken off in the final minute, with Petrovic coming on for a about a second.

FULL-TIME: Wales 0-3 Serbia

A horrible night for Wales as they are trounced 3-0 at home, meaning the aggregate score against Serbia is 9-1 over the two games.

That result leaves Wales rockbottom in Group A on six points. It's hard to believe that if they'd beaten Macedonia on Friday they would have gone third in the group.

Find all of tonight's scores and reports by following this link. Italy also qualified along with Holland tonight.

Thanks for joining Sports Mole this evening. Stick around on site for plenty of reaction throughout the night. See you again soon.

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Wales national team manager Chris Coleman looks on during the International Friendly match between Wales v Ireland at the Cardiff City Stadium on August 14, 2013
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