Wales winger Gareth Bale. (Photo : Getty Images)
Tournament favorite Wales will open their 2018 FIFA World Cup UEFA qualifying campaign against lowly squad Moldova at their home field of Cardiff City Stadium in Cardiff on Monday, Sep. 5.
Start Time and Streaming Info
The game starts at 7:45 p.m. UTC+1. It can be viewed live online thru FuboTV.
Wales and Moldova are in Group D along with tough teams Austria, Serbia, Republic of Ireland, and Georgia. Moldova and Georgia are the weakest of the six teams while Austria and Republic of Ireland are expected to challenge Wales for the top spot in the group.
The first-placed side at the end of the first round of competitions will outright qualify to the 2018 World Cup in Russia while the runner-up team will enter a second round of qualifiers.
Wales is having a surprisingly successful year so far after they reached the semifinals of the 2016 European Championship this summer, bowing to a Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal side, 0-2, at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais in Décines-Charpieu on July 6, as per The Guardian.
Head coach Chris Coleman's side were not expected to go that far in the Euros, but the team topped Group B over England, despite a 1-2 loss, and defeated Northern Ireland and world no. 2 Belgium in the knockout stages before finally succumbing to eventual champions Portugal in the semis.
The team boasts off one of the best footballers in the world right now, Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale, who alone makes the Dragons an instant threat to any opponent. Other notable players in the squad are team captain and Everton defender Ashley Williams, Crystal Palace's Wayne Hennessey and Joe Ledley, and West Brom's Hal Robson-Kanu.
Meanwhile, nothing much is expected from world no. 165 Moldova in the qualifiers, although participating in it will give head coach Igor Dobrovolski the chance to give his squad much-needed international experience and toughness.
The team's last game was a 1-2 loss to Switzerland in a friendly match way back on June 4 at the Stadio di Cornaredo in Lugano, via Daily Mail Online, and the status of their preparedness in this tournament is quite uncertain.
Prediction and Predicted Lineup
The predicted result is a crushing 4-0 demolition for Wales.
Wales starting lineup (5-3-2 formation): Hennessey; Gunter, Collins, Williams, Chester, Taylor; Allen, Ledley, King; Robson-Kanu, Bale
Moldova starting lineup (4-4-1-1 formation): Namasco; Jardan, Cascaval, Epureanu, Golovatenco; Sidorenco, Cojocari, Cebotanu, Ivanov; Ionita; Ginsari
