After all the talk about how Wales would cope without Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey, the problems ended up being at the other end of the pitch for Chris Coleman’s team on an evening when Arjen Robben scored twice as Holland took their first steps on the road to redemption.
Embarrassed by their failure to qualify for Euro 2016, Holland weathered the storm – literally as a swirling wind and driving rain swept through the Welsh capital – and in Robben had the best performer on the pitch. With his winning goal nine minutes from time, the Bayern Munich forward became only the ninth Dutch player to score 30 goals for his country and he could easily have walked away with the matchball under his arm.
Instead, Robben ended the match with a home fan trying to confront him after the final whistle, seemingly trying to take a photo rather than do anything untoward, and it was tempting to think that it was the closest a Welshman had got to the 31-year-old all night. “He can open up any defence on that type of form,” Coleman said.
