Nations League: Wales draw with 10-man Turkey in Craig Bellamy's first match, Italy fight back to beat France in Paris

Wales began the Craig Bellamy era with a 0-0 Nations League Group B draw against 10-man Turkey in Cardiff.

New boss Bellamy did not get the victory he would have craved at kick-off but it was a positive performance from Wales against opponents who reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 this summer.

Wales' task was made slightly easier by the 62nd-minute dismissal of Baris Alper Yilmaz, banished for treading on Neco Williams’ foot after unnecessarily confronting Joe Rodon before the break to merit a first yellow card.

But still a Wales winner would not come on a night when Sorba Thomas saw his effort wiped out for offside and Aaron Ramsey and Joe Rodon passed up clear-cut opportunities.

Bellamy cut a calm figure on the touchline after selecting nine of the players that started Wales’ last competitive fixture – the Euro 2024 play-off final defeat to Poland in March.

Skipper Ramsey made his first Wales appearance in almost a year dominated by injury issues, while Thomas went straight into the line-up after an 18-month absence when he was excluded from Rob Page’s final squads.

Turkey were without captain Hakan Calhanoglu, the Inter Milan Ballon d’Or candidate nursing an injury on the bench, as Vincenzo Montella’s side returned to action for the first time since shining in Germany.

Arda Guler, the Real Madrid teenager with fond memories of scoring a spectacular first international goal against Wales in June 2023, did start but was quiet throughout.

The two sides had met as recently as November in Euro 2024 qualifying, with a controversial Cardiff contest ending 1-1.

The fractious nature of that affair was replicated with eight bookings, including two for Yilmaz and a member of their coaching staff.

Elsewhere in Group 4, Orri Oskarsson