Wales 2-1 Norway: James and Williams strike to end Bellamy's winless run

Wales secured their first victory of 2026 and ended a barren run under Craig Bellamy by coming from behind to defeat 10-man Norway 2-1 at the Cardiff City Stadium. The result, in a UEFA Nations League A Group 4 contest, was built on a second-half surge that flipped a match Norway had controlled until a red card changed its complexion.

Oscar Bobb had given the visitors an 11th-minute lead, finishing with his left foot after a slick exchange with Martin Ødegaard. The chance carried an expected-goals value of 0.62, the highest of any attempt on the night, and it looked like the platform for a comfortable Norwegian evening. Instead, Wales grew into the contest, equalised through Daniel James seven minutes before the interval, and then won it with a Neco Williams free-kick three minutes after the restart.

Norway set up in a 4-3-3 and dominated the opening half-hour. They hogged 60 percent of possession before the break, out-passed Wales 285 to 181, and created the game’s first big chance when Bobb converted. Erling Haaland, however, was a peripheral figure. The Manchester City striker, who had endured a difficult few days, was kept quiet by a colossal Welsh defensive effort and heard the home crowd serenade him with a chant of “You’re just a shit Kieffer Moore,” (Guardian).

The match turned on a red card shown to a Norway player, reducing the visitors to 10 men and handing Wales a numerical advantage they would not relinquish. The dismissal, combined with Bellamy’s half-time adjustments, transformed the flow of the game.

Wales, operating in a 4-2-3-1 shape, had already found a foothold before the red card. Sorba Thomas, lively on the right, delivered the cross that James met with a left-footed finish for 1-1 in the 38th minute. The goal was worth 0.29 xG, a reward for Wales’s growing threat in the box – they registered 11 touches in the Norwegian area during the first half despite having only 40 percent of the ball.

Three minutes after the interval, Williams stepped up to a direct free-kick and bent a left-footed strike into the net. The attempt carried a meagre 0.10 xG, yet it flew past the goalkeeper to give Wales a lead they never looked like surrendering. James finished the night with a team-high 0.51 xG and one goal, while Bobb’s 0.62 xG and early strike made him Norway’s most dangerous attacker. The two wingers defined the contest, but it was James’s all-round contribution – and Williams’s set-piece magic – that proved decisive.

With the man advantage, Wales seized control of the second half. They hogged 61 percent of possession, completed 285 passes at 91 percent accuracy, and fired 183 of those passes into the opposition half. Norway, by contrast, managed only 95 opposition-half passes after the break and mustered just one shot on target in the entire second period.

The underlying numbers tell a story of Norwegian wastefulness and Welsh efficiency. The full-time xG tally read 1.05 for Wales and 1.30 for Norway, yet the hosts scored twice from an xG of 1.05 while the visitors netted only once from 1.30. Both sides created two big chances and registered 12 shots apiece, but Wales put six of those on target to Norway’s four. The home side also won the duel count 29-33, a narrow deficit that reflected their physical commitment after the red card.

Craig Bellamy’s first win as Wales manager was built on resilience and clinical finishing. The victory, Wales’s first in 2026, lifts them off the foot of the group and injects belief into a campaign that had been drifting. For Norway, the night will be remembered for Haaland’s anonymity, a costly red card, and the failure to convert superior chance volume into points.

FotMob, The Guardian, BBC.