Wales will seem at the World Cup for the first time in sixty four years after Andriy Yarmolenko's personal intention ensured a 1-0 qualifying play-off final win over Ukraine. Ukraine marked their first aggressive suit returned after Russia's invasion with a 3-1 play-off semi-very last win over Scotland on Wednesday to tee up the winner-takes-all decider in Cardiff.
Oleksandr Petrakov's visitors managed first-1/2 proceedings however have been made to pay when Gareth Bale, with the assist of Yarmolenko's head, struck first after 34 mins. Wales have been in large part indebted to the heroics of Wayne Hennessey as Rob Page's group hung on to e-book their spot in Qatar alongside England, United States and Iran in World Cup Group B.
A long-range Viktor Tsygankov power pressured an early keep from Hennessey, who tipped over a deflected move from the Ukraine winger from the resulting corner. Oleksandr Petrakov's visitors, buoyed on by means of a vociferous away crowd, endured with their dominance as some other smart Hennessey stop denied Roman Yaremchuk as he threatened with a drilled effort.
Hennessey stored out Oleksandr Zinchenko's roller and the Wales goalkeeper's plethora of first-half of saves paid dividends, with Yarmolenko heading Bale's intention-sure free-kick past Georgi Bushchan. Aaron Ramsey angled an excellent threat from Kieffer Moore's cutback wide, while Hennessey kicked away Tsygankov's close-variety prod in an enjoyable 2nd-1/2 commencing.
Ruslan Malinovskiy fired a deflected strike wide as Ukraine searched for an equaliser, with Brennan Johnson hitting the submit and Bushchan denying Bale at the opposite stop during a frenetic finish. Hennessey changed into again the hero as he produced a remarkable stop towards Artem Dovbyk within the remaining tiers to send Wales to the World Cup.
