Key talking points as Wales travel to Montenegro in the Nations League

Wales are away to Montenegro in the Nations League on Monday night.

Craig Bellamy’s first game in charge ended in a 0-0 draw at home to Turkey on Friday, while Montenegro were beaten 2-0 in Iceland.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the key talking points surrounding the Group B4 match in Niksic.

First impressions

Although Wales did not score, there was intent and vibrancy to the performance as the players instantly adapted to Bellamy’s methods.

Bellamy hopes that intensity can be replicated on foreign soil just three days after putting in so much effort in the game against Turkey.

Goalless streak

The Dragons have not scored since a 4-1 win over Finland in the Euro 2024 semi-final in March and have failed to find the net against Poland, Gibraltar, Slovakia and Turkey since then.

Bellamy promised changes after the draw with Turkey and ending Wales’ goal drought will be a clear priority.

What are Koumas’ chances?

Koumas made his competitive international debut as a second-half substitute against Turkey and did not look out of place.

It may be asking too much for the 19-year-old to solve Wales’ scoring woes at this point, but fans are already excited about Koumas’ arrival on the international stage.

Tone switch

Montenegro will host a senior men’s international tournament in Niksic, about 45 minutes north of the capital Podgorica, for the first time.

The decision was made just two weeks ago after UEFA ruled that the National Stadium in Podgorica was unusable due to craters in the surface and large areas of grass that were missing.

The Niksic Municipal Stadium only holds around 5,000 people and it remains to be seen whether playing there means Montenegro has lost a significant part of its home advantage.

Bad memories

Marko Vucinic’s first-half goal was the winner of the Euro 2012 qualifier in Podgorica, a result that marked the end of John Toshack’s six-year reign.

Wales won the return leg 2-1 in Cardiff 12 months later, but lost the only other meeting between the two countries – a 2-1 friendly defeat in Podgorica in August 2009.