One by one, Wales’s supporters rippled up from their seats in anticipation of lift-off, a mini Mexican wave of sorts. Gareth Bale was unperturbed by the eerie sense of expectation and, after one final deep breath and four dainty, magical steps forward he proceeded to curl an immaculate left-footed strike into the top corner, via the underside of the crossbar. It was an otherworldly free-kick that helped put Wales one win from reaching a first World Cup since 1958 and the prospect of mixing it with Brazil and Argentina on the biggest stage.
As Wales went on a victory lap at full time to a backdrop of Yma o Hyd, Bale and Wayne Hennessey peeled off to make a beeline to touch the frame of the goal at which he opened the scoring against Austria, whose dreams of Qatar 2022 abruptly ended here.
