MEMPHIS DEPAY SCORED an injury-time winner just seconds after Gareth Bale had equalised for Wales as the Netherlands snatched a 3-2 Nations League victory on Tuesday.
The win in Rotterdam keeps Louis van Gaal’s men three points clear of Belgium, who won 1-0 against Poland in Warsaw, at the top of Group A4.
Noa Lang put the Dutch in front in the 17th minute with his first international goal and Cody Gakpo quickly made it two.
Brennan Johnson completed a spell of three goals in eight-and-a-half minutes by pulling one back, before Bale came off the bench and scored a 92nd-minute penalty.
But home substitute Depay had the final say as the Netherlands made it three wins from four matches in the tournament, despite being without several first-choice players from the start.
It was a dramatic encounter between two teams who have qualified for the World Cup in Qatar later this year.
Club Brugge forward Lang gave the hosts an early lead with a fine individual strike, turning the Welsh defence and drilling a powerful shot past goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.
The advantage was doubled midway through the first half as Gakpo scored after his initial effort was blocked.
But Wales hit back less than three minutes later, as Dan James won the ball and fed Nottingham Forest forward Johnson to score for the second time in four days.
Hennessey saved from Gakpo shortly after half-time, while Johnson was denied by Jasper Cillessen at the other end.
Wales manager Robert Page introduced Bale and Aaron Ramsey for his team who are still looking for a first win in the group.
Bale netted a spot-kick after Connor Roberts was fouled to score his 39th international goal and spark wild celebrations on the away bench.
But Wales, who had also levelled in the return fixture against the Dutch in stoppage time last week and then lost, did the same again.
The visitors were caught out as a ball into the box was flicked on and Barcelona’s Depay reacted quickest to score.
Elsewhere Germany equalled their biggest ever win over European champions Italy as Timo Werner scored twice in a thumping 5-2 Nations League victory on Tuesday.
The result in Moenchengladbach matched the Germans’ 5-2 triumph over the Azzurri at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium back in 1939.
An early goal by Joshua Kimmich and Ilkay Gundogan’s penalty at Borussia Park put the hosts 2-0 up before the floodgates opened early in the second half.
Thomas Mueller scored his 44th goal for Germany on his 116th international appearance before Werner scored twice in quick succession.
Italy’s consolation goals came late on through 18-year-old striker Wilfried Gnonto and Alessandro Bastoni.
The result sees Germany move second in Group A3 as previous leaders Italy dropped to third, with Hungary top after a shock 4-0 win over England in Wolverhampton.
Germany could only scramble a 1-1 draw thanks to a late Kimmich goal when the sides last met in Bologna in early June, but this was a vastly improved performance.
Italy coach Roberto Mancini paid the price for making nine changes from the team which drew with England last weekend as only Gianluigi Donnarumma and David Frattesi kept their places in an experimental side.
German coach Hansi Flick made five alterations to the team which drew with Hungary in Budapest last Saturday as Gundogan seized his chance on his return.
The Manchester City star bossed the Italian midfield, creating more space up front.
Germany took the lead when Werner and Hoffenheim’s David Raum combined to set up Kimmich, who fired in on 10 minutes.
Italy conceded again just before half-time when Bastoni brought down Jonas Hofmann and Gundogan swept the resulting penalty past Donnarumma.
Mueller grabbed Germany’s third goal when he drilled a sloppy clearance into the Italian net.
Werner punished the visitors with two goals inside a minute, as Serge Gnabry provided both assists after slicing through the Italy defence.
Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who had been outstanding all night, was finally beaten when he blocked a shot by Federico Dimarco into the path of Gnonto, then Bastoni headed in.
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