Euro 2024 qualifiers: Wales face Croatia hoping Euro 2020 history repeats

Wales celebrate qualifying for Euro 2020, where they reached the last 16

There is a certain sense of history repeating about Wales' bid to qualify for Euro 2024.

Rewind four years ago to the most recent European Championship, and the story of Wales' qualifying campaign reads like a template for the current edition.

There was a promising start, a dismal summer with back-to-back defeats and then a recovery in the autumn to set up a grandstand finish. For 2019, you could read 2023.

"We've mentioned it ourselves," Wales manager Robert Page says of the similarities.

"Is it four years? That's gone quickly. There was a difficult June. That's when I stepped up and that [level of performance] is what we want now.

"The players have been in pressurised situations and they were here four years ago, so that will help of course, having gone through those experiences. It's all about the win."

The Euro 2020 qualifying campaign was Page's first as part of then manager Ryan Giggs' coaching staff, stepping up from the under-21s after defeats by Croatia and Hungary in June 2019 left their hopes of qualification hanging in the balance.

In October that year, Wales earned a valuable 1-1 draw at home to group favourites Croatia, before wins over Azerbaijan and Hungary in November sealed qualification.

On Sunday, Croatia return to Cardiff City Stadium with Wales walking a tightrope.

Page's side are fourth in Group D and, after Croatia lost at home to Turkey on Thursday, Wales realistically need to beat Croatia this weekend and then see off Armenia and Turkey next month to qualify for Euro 2024.

It is a taller order than 2019 - needing to finish with three successive wins, rather than two - but their route to Euro 2020 could be a source of inspiration.

Four years ago, Gareth Bale scored the equaliser against Croatia and, after goals by Kieffer Moore and Harry Wilson secured victory in Azerbaijan, Aaron Ramsey struck twice in the decider with Hungary to clinch qualification.

This time, neither Bale nor Ramsey are around. Bale is nine months into retirement, while Ramsey will miss Wales' final three qualifiers with a knee injury.

But there are plenty of players from the 2019 vintage who remain. In fact, seven of the 11 who started in the win over Hungary are in the squad to face Croatia on Sunday.

They include defender Ben Davies, who will captain Wales on Sunday in Ramsey's absence.

"Last time, we had two matches at the end where we had to win and we did it," Davies says.

"People don't tend to remember how you get there - the most important thing is that you get there.

"It will be difficult. We know we're not in a situation we want to be in but we still have a chance.

"These are massive games coming up and we need to go into them ready to battle and win them all."

If Wales fail to finish in the top two of Group D and miss out on qualifying automatically, they might still make it to Euro 2024 via the play-offs in March.

Having taken that route to last year's World Cup, Page and his players will not lose all hope if they cannot overcome Croatia on Sunday.

If Wales do beat the World Cup semi-finalists, though, they will have renewed reason to believe that they can repeat their feat of four years ago and qualify for next summer's tournament in Germany.

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