Slovakia
Real Madrid star Gareth Bale hungry for more Euro goals
Slovakia

Real Madrid star Gareth Bale hungry for more Euro goals

Published Jun. 18, 2016 8:22 a.m. ET

Gareth Bale has scored two goals in two games, and he's ready for more.

The Wales forward, who scored with free kicks in each of his previous matches at the European Championship, will be looking for another when his team plays Russia in their final Group B match on Monday.

Wales has impressed in its first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup, beating Slovakia and putting in a good first-half display against England before conceding a late goal to lose 2-1.

In spite of that loss, Wales is in a strong position to make it out of the group and into the knockout stages at Euro 2016.

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''The tournament is not over yet,'' said Bale, who last month helped Real Madrid win the Champions League. ''We are still in the thick of it and we will go into our last game with even more strength.''

Wales coach Chris Coleman said the stoppage-time loss to England was ''gut-wrenching,'' and said his players will have to bounce back before Monday's match at the Stadium de Toulouse.

''It's all in the last game,'' Coleman said. ''Russia have got experience. Whichever team are able to put the disappointments behind them, they'll be the ones to prevail.''

Russia has one point after drawing 1-1 with England in its first match before its 2-1 loss to Slovakia.

Russia's matches, especially the match against England in Marseille, have been overshadowed by fan violence and UEFA has threatened the team with expulsion from the tournament if their fans are involved in more violence in French stadiums. There are fears about the Russia-Wales match because some Welsh fans became involved in clashes with Russian supporters in Lille.

Wales is second in Group B with three points, one behind England. The Welsh will be hoping that England will do them a favor and beat Slovakia, which also has three points. Russia is last with one point.

The new 24-team format at Euro 2016 means four third-place teams in the six groups will reach the round of 16.

Russia midfielder Denis Glushakov, who scored against Slovakia, said the team's players need to put their poor start to Euro 2016 behind them and focus on beating Wales.

''We need to move forward and give it 100 percent or even 200 percent,'' Glushakov said, ''and then we will get a result.''

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