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Wales national football team
Euro Champ Qualifying | Group Stage
Nov 19, 2019 at 7.45pm UK
 
Hungary national football team

2-0

Ramsey (15', 47')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Ryan Giggs looking to emulate 2016 with Euro 2020 qualification

Ryan Giggs looking to emulate 2016 with Euro 2020 qualification
© Reuters
Victory over Hungary at home on Tuesday will take the Dragons into their second major tournament in four years.

Ryan Giggs says his Wales players are ready to recreate the "amazing" atmosphere of Euro 2016 by qualifying for another European Championship.

Wales reached the semi-finals in France after ending a 58-year wait to play at a major tournament, with football fever gripping the nation like never before.

Giggs' side will book their place at Euro 2020 by beating Hungary in Cardiff on Tuesday, ensuring there is no need for the play-off spot which they have already secured.

Wales – UEFA Euro 2016 – Wales Homecoming
Wales' Euro 2016 stars came to a heroes' welcome after football fever gripped the nation (Paul Harding/PA)

Asked whether qualification would atone for his failure to grace a major tournament as a player, Giggs said: "It's not about me. It's about the country as a whole.

"The team in 2016, everyone, whether you were involved or a fan or watching on TV, it was amazing.

"If we can recreate that atmosphere, it's fantastic. It's not about individuals. As a player, that's over now. Now I'm a manager.

"I think we've put ourselves in a great position. We've still got one game to go and a tough game, so we'll need to win that to qualify."

Giggs was an unpopular choice among many Wales fans to succeed Chris Coleman in January 2018.

The former Manchester United player has often had his poor attendance record as a Wales player held against him.

But Giggs has won over some of his critics during a five-game unbeaten run, which has shown steady signs of progress and taken Wales to the brink of Euro 2020 qualification.

"We just need to show the quality we've shown lately," he said.

"We have got that momentum. I think we'll have to be better than we were the other night (when Wales beat Azerbaijan 2-0 away) if we are going to win.

"But I believe in the players. I believe in the group that we've got and the qualities they possess.

"Experience counts for a lot, but what I've seen in the young players is coming in and being fearless. So they help each other.

Azerbaijan v Wales – UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifying – Group E – Bakcell Arena
Kieffer Moore (second left) celebrates scoring in the 2-0 victory over Azerbaijan on Saturday ( Bradley Collyer/PA)

"The younger players can inspire the older players and vice versa.

"We've got a good balance of players who've been there and done it, and also players who are hungry to recreate what the other lads did in 2016."

Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey are both available after coming through the Azerbaijan game unscathed after their recent injury problems.

Skipper Bale played an hour in Baku before being replaced by Ramsey, who was making his first appearance in Euro 2020 qualifying.

Ramsey has yet to play 90 minutes this season and might be used as an option from the bench again, but Joe Allen is set to return from suspension to replace Joe Morrell.

"As always, it's a bit of a balancing act," Giggs said.

"The players you more or less know who won't be able to do 90 minutes, and that will impact on the selection."

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Kieffer Moore of Wales celebrates scoring on October 10, 2019
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Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Cyprus Cyprus00000
2 Georgia Georgia00000
3 Norway Norway00000
Q Scotland flag Scotland00000
Q Spain Spain00000

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q France France00000
2 Gibraltar flag Gibraltar00000
3 Greece Greece00000
Q Netherlands Netherlands00000
5 Ireland Rep. Ireland00000

Group C

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Q England flag England00000
Q Italy Italy00000
3 Malta flag Malta00000
4 Macedonia N. Macedonia00000
5 Ukraine Ukraine00000

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Armenia Armenia00000
Q Croatia Croatia00000
3 Latvia Latvia00000
Q Turkey Turkey00000
5 Wales flag Wales00000

Group E

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Q Czech Republic Czech Republic00000
3 Faroe Islands Faroe Islands00000
4 Republic of Moldova Moldova00000
5 Poland Poland00000

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Austria Austria00000
2 Azerbaijan Azerbaijan00000
Q Belgium Belgium00000
4 Estonia Estonia00000
5 Sweden Sweden00000

Group G

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Bulgaria Bulgaria00000
Q Hungary Hungary00000
3 Lithuania Lithuania00000
4 Montenegro Montenegro00000
Q Serbia Serbia00000

Group H

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Q Denmark Denmark00000
2 Finland Finland00000
3 Kazakhstan Kazakhstan00000
4 Northern Ireland flag N. Ireland00000
5 San Marino flag San Marino00000
Q Slovenia Slovenia00000

Group I

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Andorra flag Andorra00000
2 Belarus Belarus00000
3 Israel Israel00000
4 Kosovo flag Kosovo00000
Q Romania Romania00000
Q Switzerland Switzerland00000

Group J

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Bosnia Bosnia H'vina00000
2 Iceland Iceland00000
3 Liechtenstein flag Liechtenstein00000
4 Luxembourg flag Luxembourg00000
Q Portugal Portugal00000
Q Slovakia Slovakia00000


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