Gareth Bale scored, again, but it was Aaron Ramsey who stole the show as Wales dominated Russia to enter the knockout stages of Euro 2016 in stirring fashion. Playing in their first major tournament since 1958, you might have forgiven Wales for freezing on the big stage, knowing that a win would definitely take them through to the next round, but when it mattered most, their big players stepped up, with Ramsey and Bale shining in a comprehensive win in Toulouse.
The 3-0 result not only put them into the next round, it also sent them through as the group winners, after England failed to find the target in their Group B match against Slovakia.
Ramsey opened the scoring for Wales early in the first half, with Neil Taylor, the man with the Indian connection, making it 2-0 soon after, before Bale placed that wonderful cherry on top of the icing courtesy a gorgeously taken goal in the second half.
Wales had a dream first half, with Ramsey and Neil Taylor taking their goals well to take the pressure off the team. Knowing that qualification was very much in their own hands and determined to show that negative, defence first tactics employed against England is not who they are, Wales set out to break Russia's resistance early, with Ramsey, his team's man of the match against England, scoring an absolute peach.
With the Russia defence up, Joe Allen played a nice through ball for Ramsey, who ran forward, before beautifully lobbing the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net. If a 1-0 lead after just 11 minutes wasn't good enough, Wales would double that advantage nine minutes later, with Ramsey again playing a big part.
The Arsenal midfielder started the move, finding Bale to run through the middle, before the ball would fall perfectly into the path of Taylor, off a deflection from a Russian defender. Taylor, the left-back, never looked comfortable in the one-on-one situation with Igor Akinfeev, and there was no surprise when the Russia goalkeeper made the save. However, the rebound fell right back to the Wales defender, whose mother is from Kolkata, and he made no mistake a second time with the finish, slotting the ball past the goalkeeper.
Russia had an opportunity to cut the deficit down via Artem Dzyuba, but Wayne Hennessey made a smart save, with Sam Vokes, in for Hal Robson-Kanu up front, unable to give his team an unassailable 3-0 lead as he failed to get the better of Akinfeev from a one-on-one situation.
The second half, as far as Wales were concerned, was all about keeping the match safe and ensuring they see it over the line with greater control than the one against England, and when Bale scored, off a nice chip and off a pass from Ramsey, the match was done and dusted as Wales qualified for the last 16 in some style.
