On a night when Wales knew they needed the fresh blood to fire, how they delivered. Victory over Finland means Wales have now won each of their last three playoffs in Cardiff and if they beat Poland here in the final on Tuesday they will secure a place at the Euro 2024 finals in Germany this summer. None of the goalscorers featured at Euro 2016 – several of this vibrant starting lineup would have been rooting for Wales at school then– but all played a significant part in ensuring their hopes of reaching a third successive European Championship and a fourth major tournament in five remain very much alive.
At the final whistle there was a warm outpouring of applause, a communal acknowledgment of a job well done – Wales ultimately blew Finland away after a brief scare – but the celebrations were understandably restrained. There is a reason the Wales manager, Rob Page, was at pains to say the next few days are tantamount to the half-time interval. After all, Poland await after they demolished 10-man Estonia 5-1 in their semi-final. Unusually, Robert Lewandowski was not on the scoresheet. Perhaps the 35-year-old Barcelona striker is keeping his powder dry for when it really matters.
