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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Ian Mitchelmore

Wales players' gesture of respect during anthem to the few hundred fans who made it to Euro 2020

Wales have kick-started their Euro 2020 campaign against Switzerland in Azerbaijan amid great scenes with the travelling Welsh fans.

Only a limited number of fans have been able to attend the fixture at the 70,000-seater Baku Olympic Stadium due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Locals were situated in the upper sections on either side of the pitch length while tiny clusters of Wales and Switzerland supporters were dotted around the bottom bowl of the stadium.

However, the vast majority of the venue's other light green seats were unfortunately left unoccupied.

That did not stop the hardy members of the Red Wall who had made the arduous trip to the Azerbaijani capital making themselves heard before the game. It's estimated a few hundred made it into the stadium.

Wales fans went through their full repertoire of matchday songs, including Zombie Nation and Don't Take Me Home.

And they raised the noise levels when Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau was played over the stadium's PA system ahead of kick-off.

In a gesture to the supporters, the Wales players - wearing slick white tracksuit jackets - turned to face the largest section of Wales fans behind the goal in the stadium - to sing proudly in unison.

Following their clash with Switzerland, Wales will face Turkey in Baku on Wednesday before rounding off the group stages against Italy in Rome on Sunday, June 20.

The Wales line-up for the clash with the Swiss is as follows: Ward; C Roberts, Mepham, Rodon, B Davies; Morrell, Allen; Bale (C), Ramsey, James; Moore.

Follow live updates from the game right here.

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