'It's a little bit boring' - De Bruyne bluntly admits he's sick of playing against Wales for Belgium

• They met in Nations League on Thursday
• De Bruyne goal & assist helped Belgium to 2-1 win
• Fourth competitive meeting in 18 months

WHAT HAPPENED? The inception of the Nations League has elevated the usually-boring international friendlies into more interesting fixtures that have points, promotion and relegation at stake. However, that now means that plenty of nations are playing the same several teams in each cycle.

WHAT HE SAID: Ahead of yet another clash between Belgium and Wales, De Bruyne said: “I think half of my international career has been against Wales. I don’t know why. It is a little bit boring.

"I think it is 12 times I have played them, it is always the same teams. We have been playing with the same team for years and years."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Fortunately for De Bruyne, Wales are now on the brink of relegation from League A having picked up just one point from their five games. Belgium's 2-1 victory pushed Rob Page's side even closer to the drop and it is extremely unlikely they will remain among Europe's best for the next cycle.

STORY IN THREE PHOTOS:

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Getty Images

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WHAT NEXT FOR BELGIUM? De Bruyne and his international teammates will harbour ambitions of winning the World Cup later this year. Although, despite being second in FIFA's rankings, they are not widely considered as one of the favourites to lift the trophy in Qatar.