Plus: Switzerland are made to wait for their last-16 place after third place finish in Group A, but Xherdan Shaqiri and co could be tricky customers in the knockout stages should they qualify.
Switzerland hit the post and Andrea Belotti forced Danny Ward into an important save after Gareth Bale had skied his unmarked volley over the bar. The Wales captain looked certain to grab a draw in Rome for his 10-man team when the ball fell kindly for a left-foot strike. But, like with his penalty miss against Turkey, he got it badly wrong. It could have been a costly error.
But that Swiss miss and Ward's sharp stop prevented Wales from surrendering their goal difference advantage and they battled hard in the heat to ensure a second-place finish in Group A – and a Saturday night in Amsterdam.
The party there will not be quite what it could have been, given the travel restrictions Welsh fans are facing, but, wherever they are watching, they can now start to plot a path through this tournament that would emulate the class of 2016.
Russia or Denmark are the likely last-16 opponents, unless Finland can get a result off Belgium, and then it would be back to Baku to potentially face the Netherlands. That city was a happy hunting ground for Rob Page's players in the group stage – and Wembley, the semi-finals and the chance to match the legends of Euro 2016 will be beckoning by then. It's not impossible.
But while Wales have shown in this tournament they have a strong supporting cast – stronger than 2016? – they need their star man to step forward this weekend. Bale has shown moments of brilliance, particularly with his assists against Turkey, but his country needs him to be near-perfect in the knockouts to realise the dream. It's a challenge he will relish.
Roberto Mancini made eight changes to his Italy team against Wales but the replacements looked just as impressive in the Rome sunshine. The Azzurri have taken this tournament by storm – and on Sunday they showed they have the strength in depth required to go deep into the knockout rounds.
Fit-again Marco Verratti put in a performance of real class, pulling the strings in midfield, and will be a real asset in the next round, while Federico Bernardeschi, Matteo Pessina, Federico Chiesa, and Alessandro Bastoni all came in and caught the eye.
After seeing off Wales and topping Group A, Italy's players celebrated in style in front of their home fans. It is a shame they are saying ciao to Rome, with their knockout path taking them to London and Munich. The Olimpico Stadium has been the perfect launchpad for this talented group.
But they are 30 unbeaten now – a joint-Italian record – and full of confidence. They will not fear anyone, anywhere. With options all over the pitch, Mancini's trickiest task may be narrowing his squad down to a matchday eleven.
Peter Smith
Source: SkySports
