A remarkable win over Belgium in their last outing has left Wales standing on the brink of their first major international tournament since their sole appearance at the World Cup in 1958. Chris Coleman's side are unbeaten in their six matches and find themselves three points clear of second and -- even more importantly -- five above the dreaded third-place playoff spot. A win over Cyprus on Thursday would move them still closer to automatic qualification.
Cyprus vs. Wales live stream: How to watch Euro 2016 qualifying online
Group leaders Wales will look to move a step closer to a historic European Championship qualification with a win in Cyprus on Thursday.
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However, they shouldn’t expect Cyprus to roll over. Not only do the islanders have home advantage, but they’ve also won a respectable three of their first six group games. Only tiebreakers keep them below Israel in fourth place, and they too must fancy their chances of qualifying for the European Championships for the first time in their history. That would arguably be a feat even bigger than Wales’.
When they last met
It certainly wasn’t as comfortable as you may have imagined, but Wales dispatched Cyprus 2-1 in Cardiff last October. A rout looked on the cards when David Cotterill and Hal Robson-Kanu both scored inside 24 minutes, though Vincent Laban offered Cyprus hope by pulling one back before half time. Unfortunately the visitors, it was to prove nothing more than a consolation goal.
Key player: Gareth Bale (Wales)
When Wales play, there’s no doubt that all eyes are on their star attacker Gareth Bale. The Real Madrid man is by far and away his nation’s top talent -- perhaps the greatest player to ever wear the red shirt -- and he has the quality to make the decisive difference in games of tight margins. Cyprus will have to come up with an intelligent plan if they’re to keep Bale under control.
Match Date/Time: Thursday, 2:45 p.m. ET, 9:45 p.m. local
Venue: Neo GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus
TV: Sky Sports 1/HD (U.K.)
Online: ESPN3, Watch ESPN (U.S.), Sportsnet World Now (Canada), Sky Go (U.K.)
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