Wales wary but eye record run in World Cup bid

What the report says

Rhian Wilkinson has urged Wales to stay focused as they prepare for the second leg of their women’s World Cup play-off semi-final against Albania on Tuesday in Llanelli. Wales take a 1-0 lead into the match at Parc y Scarlets, but the head coach said the narrow first-leg win in Shkoder showed her side cannot assume the tie is settled. She described Albania as a hard-working and dangerous opponent and said Wales will need to match their intensity to progress.

Wales are favourites to advance and move closer to a first World Cup appearance. If they avoid defeat, they will also set a new longest unbeaten run in the national team’s history, surpassing a nine-match mark previously set in 2013-14. Wilkinson said she was not focused on records, but on her squad producing a performance they can be proud of.

The BBC report noted that Wales had beaten Albania 4-0 in one qualifying meeting earlier in the campaign, but were made to work much harder in later games, including last week’s win. Wales are ranked significantly higher in the world rankings, yet Wilkinson warned that effort and concentration will be essential. The article also said Wales are missing several regulars through injury, with a possible final and, beyond that, inter-confederation play-offs still ahead if they continue their run.