Wales facing World Cup play-off task after Belgium loss - with Northern Ireland beaten by Germany

Craig Bellamy's side squandered a 1-0 lead to lose 4-2 to Belgium at home with two Kevin De Bruyne penalties all but ending their hopes of an automatic spot in the finals which are taking place in the US, Canada and Mexico next June.

They will instead likely be pinning their hopes on play-offs, for which they have already qualified after topping their Nations League group last year.

Elsewhere for the Home Nations, Northern Ireland were beaten 1-0 courtesy of Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade's first international goal at Windsor Park.

They now face a difficult task to reach the playoffs, lingering three points behind Germany and Slovakia with two games to play in their group.

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Wales 2-4 Belgium

Wales had led through Joe Rodon's header when Ethan Ampadu was punished for handling Charles De Ketelaere's 17th-minute shot.

Ampadu's arm was struck from point-blank range and was not far from his body, but the spot-kick was awarded by German referee Daniel Siebert after a VAR review and Kevin De Bruyne equalised.

Thomas Meunier, De Bruyne with a second penalty - after an obvious Jordan James handball - and Leandro Trossard added further Belgium goals, with Nathan Broadhead scoring Wales' second.

"It was difficult to take at the time, but they are UEFA guidelines rules," Bellamy said of the first penalty.

"Maybe we need to do something different over here because they're not our rules. We've got more common sense, but I have watched plenty of Champions League football games to know (it's a penalty).

"I don't know where you're supposed to put your hands.

"But if it goes anywhere near your hands, then it's straight away a pen, which I don't believe is the way the game should be.

"Now that's not sour grapes, far from it. I'm completely aware of the capabilities of the Belgian team, but I just felt that interrupted the momentum that we were having with the fast start and the crowd.

"You just sensed it was like a sucker punch to everyone but, of course, the responsibility lies with the players, the coaching staff and myself to try and respond better."

Belgium took advantage of North Macedonia being held 1-1 at home by Kazakhstan to take top spot in Group J.

The Red Devils hold a one-point lead over North Macedonia and have a game in hand ahead of their remaining two November fixtures.

Wales are four points behind Belgium and three adrift of North Macedonia, who they have a game in hand on.

Bellamy's side visit bottom-placed Liechtenstein next month before hosting North Macedonia, a game which will likely determine second spot and the size of Wales' play-off task in March.

"We wanted top spot because we go straight through," said Bellamy, whose protests against the first Belgium penalty earned him a second yellow card in the competition and a touchline ban for the Liechtenstein qualifier.

"But I'm aware of where we are as well and what the Nations League (winning their group last year) has brought us.

"There's another opportunity to be able to get to this major tournament.

"I honestly love playing these top teams. It's so good, because your heart's in your mouth at times and you're really living on the edge.

"I've seen a lot today that I just feel we can get close to these. We obviously told to keep improving and tweaking."

Northern Ireland 0-1 Germany

Michael O'Neill was left disappointed by a "sore loss" as an unorthodox first international goal from Nick Woltemade gave Germany a 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Northern Ireland in Belfast.

Woltemade made the breakthrough in the 31st minute, turning in David Raum's corner via the back of his shoulder, as a below-par Germany side left Windsor Park with three points that keep them top of Group A, level with Slovakia and three ahead of O'Neill's side.

A young Northern Ireland once again played with plenty of intent, growing into the game and managing more attempts at goal than their illustrious visitors, but a lack of cutting edge proved costly in O'Neill's 100th game in charge.

Daniel Ballard had a 14th-minute strike ruled out with Paddy McNair offside in the build-up, but it was otherwise all half-chances they could not force in, leaving them with it all to do to get into Group A's top two - although they still have a potential safety net via the Nations League.

"We're disappointed," O'Neill said. "It was a sore loss. I thought in the first half we lacked a little bit of belief with the ball. To be fair, Germany forced their physicality on top of us and it was difficult for us to get any kind of rhythm.

"The goal that was disallowed would certainly have helped us at that point but it is offside and we shouldn't really be offside in that situation so it's an error on our part.

"The goal we lose is a freak goal, we should defend the corner better but it comes off the player's shoulder and ends up in our net, so it wasn't even a header.

"That's disappointing, but in the second half we were terrific, we gave everything and we just couldn't force an equaliser...

"It felt like a game that was either going to be decided by a moment of something special or a bit of a freak goal, which is ultimately how it was decided."

O'Neill and a number of Northern Ireland players went to speak to referee Jesus Gil Manzano at the end of the match - unhappy that he had only added on two minutes of stoppage time during a spell in which Northern Ireland had Germany pegged back.

"I think he added three (minutes) in the first half," O'Neill said. "I'm not sure how many substitutions there were, but to add two minutes I thought was ridiculous, to be honest.

"I'm not going to go into it but we weren't happy with the referee's performance on the night, let's be honest. I thought he was over-fussy. (But) look, all the big decisions were right."

O'Neill admitted Northern Ireland missed the suspended Conor Bradley and the outlet the Liverpool man would no doubt have offered down the right - and there was fresh frustration that Ethan Galbraith picked up a yellow card which rules him out of next month's trip to Slovakia.

"I thought it was soft," O'Neill said. "I'm surprised the ref didn't book more the way he refereed the game, but that's another matter."