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    Belarus vs. Cymru | 2027 European Under-21 Championship – Qualifying competition – Grp9

    Live

        Live ReportMatch Summary

        2. MATCH SUMMARY:

          Cymru suffered a disappointing 3-0 defeat against Belarus in Georgia to all but end any hopes head coach Matty Jones had of his side qualifying for a first U21 EURO finals

          Jones made three changes from the side that defeated Austria last month as Luey Giles, Thierry Katsukuyna and Cian Ashford were all handed a place in the starting line-up. Belarus also made three changes from the side that lost 3-2 to Austria in their last match back in September.

          Jones had warned his side against complacency ahead of this potentially difficult trip to Georgia and Cymru should have taken the lead on six minutes, but they were denied by an excellent triple save from goalkeeper Ivan Shimakovich.

          Belarus responded to the scare as Nikita Baranok tried his luck from outside the area two minutes later, and they would then take the lead after 14 minutes as Ruslan Myalkovski made no mistake from close range to calmly slot the ball past the advancing Lewys Benjamin.

          Cymru had the better of the possession as Belarus sat back on their lead and made it increasingly difficult for their opponents to find the space necessary to create any real chances on goal. Although Cian Ashford had an effort blocked, Myalkovski and Baranok both went close to doubling the lead for Belarus before half-time.

          Chris Popov, who scored the second goal in the 2-0 win over Austria, and Joel Cotterill were introduced at half-time as Cymru looked to get themselves immediately back into the match. However, on 49 minutes Belarus extended their lead as Kirill Tsepenkov capitalised on a fine run and pass from Hleb Kuchko.

          With a two-goal advantage, Belarus closed ranks for long periods and made it difficult for Cymru to find a way through their defensive lines. Cymru’s best opportunities were the result of some excellent work from Ashford on the left, but Shimakovich was equal to any efforts on goal.

          On 73 minutes Belarus put the result out of Cymru’s reach as substitute Radzivon Pyachura curled a superb strike from the edge of the area into the far corner of Benjamin’s goal. Belarus continued to create opportunities before the final whistle, signalling the end of both the match and Cymru’s qualification dream.

        3. FULL-TIME VERDICT: A frustrating night for Cymru in Georgia as Belarus claim a convincing 3-0 win. Although Matty Jones’s side enjoyed periods of possession, they were unable to breakdown the disciplined defensive shape of Belarus or prevent three well-taken goals from Ruslan Myalkovski, Kirill Tsepenkov and substitute Radzivon Pyachura. The visitors had chances to get themselves back into the match, but this was a deserved victory for the home side and a result that moves Cymru to the bottom of the group.

        4. 90' + 2'

          Cymru are not going down without a fight here in Georgia. There have been chances for Matty Jones’s side, but any consolation goal now would be far too little, far too late.

        5. 88'

          Yellow card

          ANDREWS Kai

        6. 87'

          Yellow card

          ANDREWS Kai

        7. Tanatswa Nyakuhwa shields the ball

        8. 82'

          Substitution

          MAFICO Dakarai replaces CREW Charles

        9. 82'

          Belarus don’t look as if they have finished this evening as they continue to create opportunities. Cymru are asking questions of their own, but this match now seems all but over.

        10. 81'

          Substitution

          MAFICO Dakarai replaces CREW Charles

        11. 77'

          Substitution

          Ilya Putskin replaces Gleb Kuchko

        12. 77'

          Substitution

          Artem Turich replaces Daniil Dushevski

        13. 75'

          Substitution

          Ilya Putskin replaces Artsiom Turych

        14. 75'

          Substitution

          Artsiom Turych replaces Daniil Dushevski

        15. 73'

          Goal

          Rodion Pechura

        16. 73'

          The third goal for Belarus is the best one yet as substitute Pyachura curls a fine effort past Benjamin from the edge of the area.

        17. 73'

          Goal

          Radzivon Pyachura

        18. Luey Giles loses possession

        19. 68'

          Cymru really pushing forward now as Belarus sit on their two-goal lead. There’s still plenty of time for Cymru to get themselves back into this match but they need that first goal soon to dent the confidence of their opponents.

        20. 66'

          Substitution

          Rodion Pechura replaces Vladislav Varaksa

        21. 65'

          Substitution

          NYAKUHWA Tanatswa replaces ASHFORD Cian

        22. 65'

          Substitution

          HAMMOND Benjamin replaces BLAND Jonathan

        23. 65'

          Matty Jones rolls the dice with another double substitution as Nyakuhwa and Hammond enter the field.

        24. 63'

          Substitution

          NYAKUHWA Tanatswa replaces ASHFORD Cian

        25. 63'

          Substitution

          NYAKUHWA Tanatswa replaces ASHFORD Cian

        26. 63'

          Substitution

          HAMMOND Benjamin replaces BLAND Jonathan

        27. Cian Ashford has been Cymru’s most creative player since the restart

        28. 60'

          An opportunity for Crew but Shimakovich is equal to his effort after some good work again from Ashford on the left.

        29. 59'

          Substitution

          Ilya Dubinets replaces Artur Nazarenko

        30. 59'

          Substitution

          Timofei Simanenka replaces Ruslan Myalkovski

        31. 58'

          Substitution

          Timofei Simanenka replaces Ruslan Myalkovski

        32. 58'

          Substitution

          Radzivon Pyachura replaces Artur Nazarenko

        33. 56'

          A positive passage of play as Cian Ashford does well on the left but Cymru cannot capitalise on his excellent cross. The next goal is crucial in this one.

        34. Cymru captain Charlie Crew in possession

        35. 49'

          Goal

          Kirill Tsepenkov

        36. 49'

          Belarus double their lead as Tsepenkov benefits from a fine run on the left from Kuchko to make it 2-0. That was the last thing Cymru needed after making those two positive changes at half-time. Matty Jones needs a big reaction from his players now.

        37. 48'

          Goal

          Kirill Tsepenkov

        38. 46'

          Substitution

          COTTERILL Joel Leigh replaces AGIUS Calum

        39. 46'

          Substitution

          POPOV Christopher replaces BIANCHERI Gabriele

        40. 46'

          A double change for Cymru as Popov and Cotterill are introduced. Popov scored the second goal in the 2-0 win over Austria last month.

        41. Cymru U21 head coach Matty Jones

        42. HALF-TIME VERDICT: Cymru almost enjoyed the perfect start to this game, but goalkeeper Shimakovich pulled off three superb saves after just six minutes, and it was Belarus who would make their first real chance count as Myalkovski placed the ball past Benjamin less than ten minutes later. Cymru had the majority of possession, but Belarus defended their lead well to restrict the visitors to long-range efforts, and it was Belarus who could have increased their lead before half-time as Myalkovski and Baranok both came close to doubling the advantage. Cymru are still very much in this match but they need to stay patient with the ball and be aware of their opponents quality on the counter-attack.

        43. 44'

          Cymru doing everything to get back into this before half-time but they just cannot create that one clear chance to level.

        44. 43'

          Yellow card

          CONGREVE Cameron Mark

        45. 42'

          Yellow card

          CONGREVE Cameron Mark

        46. Kai Andrews is challenged for the ball

        47. 34'

          Belarus test the Cymru defence once again but the shot from Baranok is blocked. Matty Jones’ side really can’t afford to concede a second before half-time.

        48. 32'

          Yellow card

          COX Daniel

        49. 31'

          Yellow card

          COX Daniel

        50. 29'

          Another big chance for Belarus but Myalkovski heads wide of Benjamin’s right-hand post. Although Cymru are having more of the ball since the goal, they have to stay focused.

        51. Cameron Congreve carries the ball forward

        52. 21'

          Cymru enjoying a decent spell of possession but Ashford’s eventual effort from the edge of the area is blocked. Now that Belarus have the lead they’re showing how difficult they could be to breakdown.

        53. Dan Cox heads the ball clear

        54. 14'

          Goal

          Ruslan Myalkovski

        55. 14'

          A huge blow for Cymru as Myalkovski hands Belarus the lead with a well-placed finish past Benjamin. Matty Jones needs the right reaction from his side now.

        56. 13'

          Goal

          Ruslan Myalkovski

        57. 8'

          Baranok trying his luck from distance for Belarus but Benjamin isn’t troubled. Belarus have enjoyed the better possession in these early exchanges but Cymru have showing their attacking talent on the counter-attack.

        58. The Cymru starting line-up

        59. 6'

          Three impressive saves from Shimakovich to deny Cymru from enjoying the perfect start. It’s been a high tempo start to this match.

        60. '

          Substitution

          POPOV Christopher replaces BIANCHERI Gabriele

        61. '

          Substitution

          COTTERILL Joel Leigh replaces AGIUS Calum

        62. Final preparations ahead of kick-off in Gori

        63. The Cymru U21 squad have arrived at the Tengiz Burjanadze Stadium

        64. Charlie Crew will captain Cymru against Belarus on his seventh U21 cap.

        65. TEAM NEWS

          Cymru U21 head coach Matty Jones has made three changes to his starting line-up from the side that defeated Austria 2-0 in Linz last month.

          Luey Giles, Thierry Katsukuyna and Cian Ashford all come into the first XI that will be captained once again by midfielder Charlie Crew, with Gabriele Biancheri, who scored the opening goal against Austria, leading the frontline.

          Meanwhile, Belarus head coach Vitali Pavlov has also made three changes to the side that suffered a 3-2 defeat to Austria back in September as Uladzislau Mialko, Artur Nazarenko and Vladislav Varaksa come into their starting line-up.

          Belarus currently sit bottom of Group I but opened their qualifying campaign with a creditable 1-1 draw against Belgium.

        66. Team news will follow shortly as Cymru look to build on an excellent victory against Austria last month.

        67. The Tengiz Burjanadze Stadium in Gori is ready to welcome Belarus and Cymru in UEFA U21 EURO qualifying.

        68. DIWRNOD Y GÊM 🇧🇾 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

          Continuing our #U21EURO qualifying campaign in Gori 👊

        69. MD-1 ✅

          Cymru rounded off their preparations for tomorrow’s match against Belarus this evening.

        72. MEET THE OFFICIALS

          Daniyar Sakhi will take charge of Cymru’s UEFA Under-21 EURO qualifying fixture against Belarus on Friday afternoon.

          The 34-year-old began his journey as a FIFA referee in 2017, having made his league debut in May 2015. Sakhi is a regular official in Kazakhstan, and has also taken charge of fixtures in several UEFA competitions, including the UEFA Europa Conference League and the UEFA Europa League.

          In Georgia, he will be assisted by Sergey Kalachyov (KAZ) and Samat Tergeussizov (KAZ), with Saken Baiymbet (KAZ) serving as the fourth official.

        73. ANDREWS: “WE’RE REALLY DRIVEN AND FOCUSED GOING INTO FRIDAY”

          Cymru U21 midfielder Kai Andrews says he’s looking forward to returning to action with Cymru this week as they aim to secure back-to-back wins for the first time in their U21 EURO qualifying campaign.

          “Personally, I always look forward to putting on the shirt and representing the badge, so I am buzzing for Friday,” he said.

          “I think it’s a great opportunity for us to go and cap off the year with another good performance off the back of a high from the last fixture against Austria.

          “I think all the boys including myself are seeing Fridays game as a really good chance to go put ourselves in a good position before the big break going into the March camp and so there’s a really driven and focused feeling around camp which is very pleasing to be apart of.”

          Cymru arrived in Georgia on Sunday, and the midfielder says preparations have gone well so far, with the squad in a good position ahead of Friday’s match.

          “I think we’ve had a great start to camp as a group,” he added. “A lot of us have relatively easily transitioned with the travelling and the time zone. I feel as though training has been a good level and consistent with the efforts of all the players.

          “Everyone is buying into the game-plan and the way we are looking to approach Fridays game which is very important in giving us that confidence in one another as a team when it comes to game day.”

          Belarus sit bottom and winless in Group I, but Andrews is under no illusion about the challenge ahead.

          “We’ve done a lot of opposition analysis on Belarus throughout the camp,” he concluded. “I think we’re definitely expecting a very aggressive and direct team, so we’ve been preparing for this challenge throughout the training sessions this week.

          “However, I also think it’s really important for us to acknowledge that besides this direct aggressive style of play there is also a lot of quality throughout the opposition and so we all need to stay focused with that.”

        74. BIANCHERI: “IT’S ANOTHER CHANCE TO SHOW WHAT WE’RE ABOUT”

          Cymru U21 forward Gabriele Biancheri is hoping to build on a dream start to his Under-21s career after scoring in the 2–0 win over Austria — a result that helped the side bounce back following two tough defeats.

          “We’re all really looking forward to the game. It’ ’s another chance to show what we’re about and build on what we did against Austria,” said Biancheri.

          “That result was massive for us. After the start we had, we really needed a performance like that to kickstart our campaign and remind ourselves what we’re capable of.

          “Every game at this level is tough. We know they’ll be a strong, physical team with real quality, but we’re ready for the challenge.

          “It was a proud moment for me to score on my first start, and hopefully there are many more to come. I just want to keep helping the team and contributing with goals in a Cymru shirt — starting on Friday.”

        75. GK UNION 🧤

          Lewys Benjamin in action during training in Tbilisi, Georgia.

        76. PREPERATIONS UNDERWAY 🏃‍♂️

          Cymru took the field in Georgia on Tuesday evening as they prepare for Friday’s EURO qualifier against Belarus

        77. AIMING TO FINISH THE YEAR STRONGLY 💪

        78. HEAD-TO-HEAD

          Belarus hold the upper hand in this fixture, having won one of the previous meetings between the sides.
          The last encounter came back in September 1999, when Belarus claimed a 1-0 victory on home soil in EURO qualifying.

          That result followed a 0-0 draw the previous year, also in the same qualifying campaign.

          Cymru now have the chance to create history by beating the Belarusians for the first time at this level.

        79. THE TABLE AS IT STANDS

          Here is how Group I stands as Cymru go into their final EURO qualifier of the year.

        80. OPPOSITION LOWDOWN | BELARUS

          Vitaliy Pavlov is the current head coach of the Belarus U21 national football team. Having transitioned from his playing career into coaching, Pavlov has held various roles in Belarusian football, including assistant and head-coaching positions at clubs such as Belshina Bobruisk and SFK Slutsk, before taking over the U21 national team in early 2025.

          Throughout his managerial career, he is noted for preferring a 4‑1‑4‑1 formation and holds a UEFA Pro coaching licence. Since taking charge of the Belarus U21s, Pavlov has yet to record a competitive win, but he did lead his team to a commendable 1‑1 draw against top seeds Denmark last month in EURO qualifying.

        81. JONES WARNS AGAINST COMPLACENCY

          Matty Jones has warned his squad against complacency as they prepare to take on Belarus in Georgia on Friday 14 November (KO 2pm GMT) on the back of an excellent victory away to Austria in their UEFA U21 EURO qualifying campaign.

          “It’s going to be a huge part of my intro meeting to the players and staff,” explained Jones. “In terms of complacency, there is no room for it. Some will say that we should win the game, but I don’t think we deserve that. What we need to think is that it’s a game we can win, as long as we get our preparation right.”

          Cymru claimed an impressive 2-0 victory away to Austria in Linz last month to earn their first points of the qualifying campaign through goals from Gabriele Biancheri and Chris Popov. Both players are included for this latest Group I match together with Charlie Crew and Kai Andrews, who were recently involved with Craig Bellamy’s senior squad.

          Jones has named a 21-man squad for the match against a Belarus side currently bottom of Group I. “I’ve taken a slightly different approach this time in terms of numbers being less,” he explained. “I think with the complexity of this window and the importance of the game itself, we’ve made sure that we’ve just narrowed down the numbers, ultimately to zone in on the importance of the game.”

        84. SQUAD ANNOUCEMENT

          Matty Jones has announced his Cymru squad for the upcoming UEFA U21 EURO 2027 qualifier against Belarus in Group I.

          In the squad, there are welcome returns for Kit Margetson, Cian Ashford, and Joel Cotterill, all of whom return for the first time since September.

          Goalscorers from the Austria win, Chris Popov and Gabriele Biancheri retain their places in the squad, alongside Exeter City defender Ed James, who will return from a one-match suspension.

        85. VENUE CONFIRMED FOR BELARUS QUALIFIER

          Cymru’s UEFA U21 EURO qualifying match against Belarus will take place on Friday, 14 November, at the Tengiz Burjanadze Stadium in Gori, Georgia.

          The stadium, home to FC Dila Gori, holds a capacity of 5,000 spectators and is regular venue for Georgian youth team matches.

          This fixture marks Matty Jones’ side’s second away match of the qualifying campaign and will kick off at 2pm (BST). Cymru will be aiming to build on their impressive 2–0 away win against Austria earlier this month.

        86. There is no live report available for this match

        Lineups

        Starting

          Substitutes

            Starting

              Substitutes

                Table

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                Gd
                Pts

                Match Info

                Stadium

                Date & Time

                Referee

                Fourth Official

                Assistant Referees

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