Wales first major international tournament match in 58 years ended in victory as Hal Robson-Kanu struck late to seal a 2-1 Euro 2016 win against Slovakia.
Gareth Bale stepped up to beat Matus Kozacik with a brilliant whipped free-kick from 30 yards to put his side into an early lead in Bordeaux.
Bale had scored or assisted nine of the 11 Wales goals in qualifying and the Real Madrid forward seemed to have made the difference for his team once more.
But substitute Ondrej Duda had other ideas, shooting low past Danny Ward after superb work by Robert Mak early in the second half.
Another substitute then struck the decisive blow with 10 minutes to go as Robson-Kanu bundled in an untidy finish after Aaron Ramsey created the opening.
Slovakia s unbeaten…
Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson insists Louis van Gaal will bring success to Old Trafford as long as the club are patient with him.
United have not won a major trophy since the Premier League title triumph in Ferguson s final season in 2012-13, and the FA Cup is their only realistic chance of silverware in a frustratingly inconsistent campaign so far.
With United out of the Champions League and Europa League and facing a battle to finish in the top four, pressure has mounted on Van Gaal s position, with talk of Jose Mourinho replacing him before next season refusing to die down.
Ferguson, however, says a crippling injury list has blighted his old club s chances of performing to expectations this term and is confident the current boss can deliver.
Arsenal teenager Daniel Ballard has been called up to the Northern Ireland squad for the first time for the Euro 2020 qualifiers against Estonia and Belarus.
The 19-year-old featured three times for the Northern Ireland Under-21s last year, scoring in the 1-0 win over Iceland and starting in the victories over Spain and Slovakia.
He is the only new face in Michael O Neill s 27-man group, though there are recalls for forwards Will Grigg and Conor Washington.
Sheffield United midfielder Oliver Norwood has been omitted for personal reasons while Jamie Ward, Kyle Vassell, Michael Smith and Trevor Carson are all missing through injury.
Northern Ireland, who reached the last 16 at Euro 2016, begin Euro 2020 qualifying against Estonia on March 21 in Belfast befo…
Renato Sanches is not happy at Bayern Munich and suggested he is open to leaving for another club.
Sanches joined Bayern in 2016 to much fanfare after breaking through at Benfica and helping Portugal to victory in the European Championships the same year.
Bayern shelled out a reported €35million on the midfielder and expectations were sky high, but after a difficult first few months he was sent on loan to Swansea City in the Premier League.
At Swansea, Sanches failed to rekindle his Benfica form and, although Niko Kovac seemed optimistic about the Portugal international s future when he returned at the start of the season, things have not gone to plan.
The 21-year-old has made just four Bundesliga starts and now appears to be angling for a move away.
Are Manchester United set for a busy transfer window?
After finishing runners-up to Manchester City in the Premier League and losing in the Europa League final, United are keen to strengthen.
A trio of stars are reportedly on the club s shortlist.
TOP STORY – UNITED WANT THREE MORE PLAYERS
Manchester United are targeting three more signings this off-season, according to The Guardian.
United have agreed a deal to bring Jadon Sancho to Old Trafford from Borussia Dortmund but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants more.
The Red Devils are reportedly closing in on Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane, though Villarreal s Pau Torres has also been linked, with Tottenham star Harry Kane and West Ham midfielder Declan Rice also on the list.
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Denmark s squad are constantly thinking of Christian Eriksen as their Euro 2020 adventure continues, so says Kasper Hjulmand.
The Danes beat the Czech Republic 2-1 on Saturday to progress to their fourth European Championship semi-final – and their first since they won the tournament in 1992.
Hjulmand s side, whose tally of 11 goals in the competition trails only Spain, will face Ukraine or England at Wembley on Wednesday after Thomas Delaney and Kasper Dolberg saw them through in Baku.
Denmark – the first team to qualify from the group stage despite losing their first two games – have become the story of the tournament following Eriksen s cardiac arrest on the pitch in Copenhagen in their opener against Finland.
Eriksen has subsequently recov…
Tottenham s first-team coach Joe Jordan thinks Jermain Defoe can replace Darren Bent in the England s squad for Euro 2012.
Bent left Spurs in 2009 in the search for regular first-team football due in part to the presence of the diminutive striker and is now at Aston Villa, but Defoe is now himself finding consistent starts hard to come by for the English Premier League club.
The former Portsmouth and West Ham striker has nonetheless scored six goals in all competitions so far this season, and Jordan has backed Defoe to win a place on the plane for the tournament in Poland and the Ukraine for the championships.
I wouldn t say Darren Bent has got to go to the Euros because I think that between now and then you still have to prove that you are a good player. And J…
What the papers say
Jordan Henderson is weighing up a move away from Liverpool, according to the Daily Telegraph. Al-Ettifaq, now managed by former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, are reportedly keen on the 33-year-old midfielder but have not made a formal bid.
Aaron Ramsey is another international midfielder who has emerged as a target for Saudi Arabia, reports The Sun. But the Wales star, 32, is ready to turn down a big-money move in favour of a return to his first club Cardiff from Nice.
Newcastle are reportedly in talks with relegated Leicester over signing winger Harvey Barnes. The Daily Mail says an opening offer of around £30 million is on the cards.
Centre-back Trevoh Chalobah could be one of the players leaving Chelsea this summer. The Blues are will…
An early own goal from Cristiano Biraghi proved decisive as Juventus began their Serie A title defence with a 1-0 win at Chievo.
New coach Massimiliano Allegri saw his side deliver an ominous display that should have resulted in a wider margin of victory.
Biraghi deflected a header from Martin Caceres into his own net after seven minutes, but Juve were unlucky not to find the net again as Arturo Vidal struck a post and Carlos Tevez twice hit the crossbar.
Chile midfielder Vidal also saw an effort cleared off the line, although Chievo spurned a late chance to equalise when Maxi Lopez was denied by Gianluigi Buffon.
The intensity of Juventus performance dipped in the second period, but Kingsley Coman twice went close on an encouraging debut.
Allegr…
Uruguayan defender Diego Lugano looks likely to continue his career in the Middle East, .
The 33-year-old has been a free agent since leaving West Bromwich this summer and he is still searching for a new club.
According to L Equipe, Lugano is currently considering proposals from Qatar and United Arab Emirates.
While being widely regarded as one of the best defenders in South America, Lugano never quite made the grade in Europe s top leagues, with his spells at PSG, Malaga and West Bromwich proving pretty disappointing.
Lugano did enjoy several successful years at Fenerbahce, making 125 league appearances for the Turkish giants and scoring 21 goals.
The highly rated footballer has captained the national team since 2010, amassing 95 Uruguay caps an…