Belgium vs Wales live: Score and latest updates from the Nations League

More good work from Wales. Dan James puts a cross in toward Bale, who gets there first but it deflects wide off a Belgian head. 

Clumsy foul from James allows Belgium to ease the pressure.

He he comes. Bale is on for Kieffer Moore and Joe Morrell is on for Matt Smith.

For Belgium, Openda is on for Batshuayi, Dries Mertens for Carrasco and Leandro Trossard replaces Eden Hazard.

Gareth Bale looks to be warming up on the Wales sideline...

Wales are much tighter in this half. Belgium are still enjoying plenty of possession but this Wales shape is making things much trickier for the hosts.

Hazard is fouled by Ethan Ampadu as he disrupts the Belgium counter attack. 

Ampadu is booked. This is in a dangerous area and it's a neat move from the Belgian's as hazard lays off a neat pass to Tielemans. His shot is deflected wide.

Rob Page has tweaked things at half time and it's working early in the second half. Matt Smith is being much more disciplined in the middle of the park and that's limiting the space for the likes of De Bruyne and Tielemans.

By Sam Dean in Belgium

Wales back in the game. Kieffer Moore with a classic big-man-at-the-back-post header, from Brennan Johnson's cross. Moore is a real threat at this level: that's his ninth goal in 27 international appearances.

If you're interested in reading more about the former lifeguard and personal trainer, I would humbly recommend our interview with him in August.

Brennan Johnson does well down the right to chip a great ball up to the back post. Kieffer Moore gets up really well and a strong header leaves Courtois no chance.

GAME. ON.

Well now.....

Naughty from Mepham. Who cynically fouls Eden Hazard. That looked like frustration.

The centre-half is booked and he'll now miss Sunday's game against Poland.

Wales will want to start quickly here. Just as I type Neco Williams smashes a wild pass out for a goal kick...not a great start.

No changes from Rob Page by the way. Bit of a surprise to be honest.

The players are walking out to the dulcet tones of Gloria Gaynor's 'I Will Survive'.

Strangely apt for Wales' current predicament.

Poland are 1-0 down to the Netherlands at half-time. If that scoreline stays the same, Wales will have a chance to avoid Nations League relegation on Sunday.

Danny Gabbidon is unimpressed with what he's seen from Wales tonight. This is what he said on BBC Radio Wales at half-time.

"Apart from the opening five or six minutes, it's probably been the worst performance I have seen from a Wales team for a long time."

"Belgium ask different questions of you with their movement and quality and we really have been found wanting."

Here's a look at Kevin de Bruyne's opening goal this evening. I think you'll agree I underplayed the quality of this finish initially.

A classy left-footed finish from Kevin De Bruyne! The Manchester City superstar made that look so easy ????

Belgium make their first real attack count as they open the scoring against Wales ????????#BELWAL pic.twitter.com/bLPnZE45v0

— Premier Sports (@PremierSportsTV) September 22, 2022

By Sam Dean in Belgium

Kevin De Bruyne is seemingly playing a different game to everyone else tonight. He's seeing different angles and finding different spaces, and the Welsh midfield does not seem able to do anything about it.

It's only half-time here and the Manchester City midfielder has scored one, assisted one, hit the post, had a shot cleared off the line, fired narrowly over the bar and had a one-versus-one saved by Wayne Hennessey.

It would be safe to say that Wales are missing Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen, their usual central midfielders. Matt Smith, of League One side MK Dons, is having a difficult evening.

Belgium have been good. De Bruyne has been outstanding. Wales have been outmatched here and Rob Page has some serious work to do at half-time.

By Sam Dean in Belgium

The Wales midfield of Ethan Ampadu and Matt Smith is struggling to handle Kevin De Bruyne here, which isn't particularly surprising. De Bruyne has scored one, hit the post, had a shot cleared off the line and now created a goal for Michy Batshuayi.

Belgium are obviously a top side but this Wales display has been pretty average so far. Gaping holes everywhere. Misplaced passes. More needed.

De Bruyne nearly takes advantage again, forcing a smart save from Hennessey who uses his feet to deflect it wide.

Chance for Wales! Rodon is found at the back post and heads the ball back across goal forcing the save from Courtois.

Ethan Ampadu unleashes a header of his own as the ball spoons up in the air but Courtois is up to the task again.

Batshuayiis the goalscorer but this is all about Kevin de Bruyne again. He's found by Meunier after a clever run into the box. He uses his strength to hold off the Wales defence before whipping an inch-perfect ball across the six-yard box to find Batshuayi at the back post for the tap in.

Batshuayi in on the act.

Hazard cuts in from the left and whips a right-footed shot towards the far corner.

Hennessey is at full stretch and is thankful to see the ball go wide.

Chelsea fans will be very familiar with that kind of silky move from Hazard.

Belgium have been excellent here but Wales aren't doing themselves any favours by giving the ball away cheaply.

This time it's Norrington-Davies who misplaces a pass but mercifully De Bruyne's pass to Meunier goes out of play. 

De Bruyne is on fire here and nearly has his second. n fact he could have four already.

The Belgians counter attack rapidly again and feed De Bruyne 25 yards out. He curls one to the right of the Hennessey but it smashes into the post and bounces away.

The keeper had no chance there.

De Bruyne is clean through down the left and you think for all the world that he's going to slide it past Hennessey until he gets the ball caught  under his feet.

Carrasco and Batshuayi then each have chances that they may feel they should have done better with. 

Wales are on the rack here.

Eden Hazard hasn't had a huge amount of football for Real Madrid this season but he looks sharp here.

He's popping up deeper than we're accustomed to seeing him normally but his neat touches and feints are launching plenty of dangerous attacks.

Wales do have some threat here but they just can't find any quality in the final third. The crossing, in particular, has been poor.

At the other end, Kiefer Moore gives the ball away and Belgium swarm forward. De Bruyne unleashes a shot from the edge of the box but it sails over the bar.

A huge chance goes begging for Belgium.

Carrasco has Mepham in knots and he weaves into the area and squares the ball across the six-yard box.

He finds an unmark Tielemans in the box but he scuffs his left-foot shot wide.

Moments later, De Bruyne puts Batshuayi in with a ball over the top but Wales deal with the danger well.

I've actually underplayed that finish from De Bruyne. A real touch of class from the Manchester City man.

Belgium enjoy their longest spell of possession and the chance comes after Meunier feeds Batshuayi down the right.

The striker does well to find De Bruyne on the edge of the box, who produces a calm finish with his left foot.

De Bruyne puts Belgium ahead

After a pretty slow start Belgium are enjoying more possession. Carrasco feeds De Bruyne on the overlap but Wales respond well and earn a goal kick.

Tielemans is dispossessed in midfield and Johnson breaks away again. He feeds Roberts wide on the right but the ref blows after second ball appears on the pitch.

That was decent chance for Wales and Rob Page is less than amused.

Bright start from Wales, who get Brennan Johnson into the box down the right after some neat interplay. He has a great chance to pick out a man but his cross is loose and drifts over the bar.

We're underway and Kiefer Moore has attempted to break the record for the quickest foul in Nations League history after catching Alderweireld with an elbow.

Turkey's Ali Palabiyik is tonight's referee.

The Welsh do always smash their anthem. Another rousing rendition from a sizeable travelling contingent in Brussells tonight. 

Here they come. The two sides appear and stand in front of a strange inflatable balloon carrying some kind of ad campaign.

A bad description from me admittedly but it is pretty weird.

Rob Page could give international debuts to two uncapped teenagers this evening.

Birmingham City midfielder Jordan James, 28, has been in excellent form for his club so far this season and has been rewarded with his first call up.

The other is 17-year-old Luke Harris. The midfielder has only made on senior appearance for Fulham in his young career and would become the fourth youngest player to represent Wales at 17 years and 171 days.

Wayne Hennessey is in goal for Wales tonight despite making just one appearance for Nottingham Forest so far this season.

 Leicester's Danny Ward is on the bench after enduring a rocky start after replacing Kasper Schmeichel in goal at the King Power Stadium.

Must keep reminding ourselves this is a game with actual Nations League ramifications....difficult though that may be. 

The prestige (or lack there of) of this competition is probably underlined by the fact that for many this is really just a World Cup tune-up. 

Here's a few nuggets for you number crunches out there.

• Belgium have never lost a home match against Wales in seven previous meetings on home soil (four wins, three draws), winning 3-1 in the most recent game at Den Dreef in March 2021.
• Belgium are the leading scorers in the Nations League with 37 goals, scoring in every game. The Belgians have also conceded 23 goals, with the 60 goals in their matches the most of any nation.
• In their last 13 away matches, Wales have either kept a clean sheet (six times) or conceded at least twice (seven times), shipping 18 goals.

Hope you statos are suitably satiated for now.

Wales' talisman Gareth Bale is among the substitutes tonight but is only expected to playa limited role.

Bale, who joined Los Angeles FC earlier this summer has appeared mostly as a substitute in the MLS so far.

With a World Cup on the horizon, Page will be keen to do all he can to make sure his star gets to Qatar fit and healthy.

It would be a surprise to see him in anything other a fleeting appearance this evening.

Here's what Wales manager Rob Page had to say ahead of this one. 

"We've got three or four key players out with Joe in the middle of the park, Ben Davies and Aaron and Harry, so you've got to get the balance right.

"I'm not going to risk anyone's health or injury with a World Cup in November but we also want to stay in the division.

"We've fought with one hand tied behind our back before in the first couple of games because of the [World Cup play-off] final and unfortunately we're in the position we're in.

"But we've still got two games left to stay in the division so we'll take that. If we can qualify for a World Cup and still be in League A, I'd be really proud of the players."

With two games to go, there's plenty on the line for both these sides as far as the Nations League is concerned.

For Belgium, a win here keeps them within touching distance of group leaders, the Netherlands, and will set up a final-game shootout for Group 4 with the Dutch - irrelevant of what Louis van Gaal's side do against Poland this evening. 

For Wales the equation is simple. They must at least match Poland's result against the Netherlands tonight to give themselves a chance of of avoiding relegation when they face the Poles on Sunday.

Wales fans in Brussels. Enjoying themselves. pic.twitter.com/mkBSmvrqZ2

— Sam Dean (@SamJDean) September 22, 2022

Belgium are fielding what looks a strong side on paper. De Bruyne, Hazard, Tielemans, Witsel - to name just four. Top-class talent everywhere....

With a World Cup just around a corner and a Nations League group win to chase, Roberto Martinez is not messing around here.

Belgium XI: Courtois; Debast, Alderweireld, Vertonghen; Meunier, Tielemans, Witsel, Carrasco; De Bruyne, Batshuayi, Hazard

Wales XI: Hennessey; Mepham, Rodon, Norrington-Davies; Roberts, Ampadu, Smith, N Williams; Johnson, Moore, James

...and welcome to the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels as Belgium and Wales meet for a fourth time in the last 18 months.

This clash comes in the UEFA Nations League but the game’s importance surely lies more in its capacity as the first of two final games before both sides head to Qatar World Cup in November. 

Roberto Martinez and Rob Page have just the remainder of this week to work with their squads before finalising their selection plans ahead of the World Cup, meaning fringe squad members will be desperate to impress as they attempt to book their place on the plane to Qatar.

Tonight’s sides have met with regularity over the past decade. In fact, after meeting just eight times from 1949 to 1997, they have matched that number since 2012 - with tonight’s clash their ninth over that period. 

Belgium superstar Kevin de Bruyne has even admitted to being bored by facing Wales in the run up to this one. 

“I think half of my international career has been against Wales,” said De Bruyne, the Manchester City midfielder. “I don’t know why. It is a little bit boring. I think it is 12 times I have played them, it is always the same teams.”

While the quote was made more in jest than severity, it is worth noting that the head-to-head between the sides since 2012 have been remarkably even considering Belgium’s place among the presumed elite of international football.

Each side has two wins from the eight games, with the remaining four, including the two most recent, resulting in draws. 

While attention will understandably be on the World Cup, Rob Page will be aware that a loss for his side here will condemn them to relegation into League B in the Nations League. 

The Welsh have just one point from their four games in Group 4 but a win here would set them up for a relegation decider against Poland on Sunday.