Gareth Bale got only one chance to score against Italy and he wasted it.

His second-half volley over the crossbar could have been a costly miss, but in the end it didn’t matter because Wales managed to secure second place in Group A and a spot in the round of 16 despite a 1-0 loss to Italy on Sunday at the European Championship.

The relief was palpable after the final whistle as Bale and his red-clad teammates hugged and walked to the sideline to thank the few Welsh fans who had made the trip to Rome.

“I’m proud of the boys,” Bale said. “We wanted to try and get a result, but I guess it made no difference, we finished second anyway.”

Outplayed and outnumbered, Wales struggled to create chances against Italy. Bale had the team’s best opportunity when Joe Rodon’s header set him up unmarked in the penalty area. He chose to strike the the ball with a left-foot volley but couldn’t keep the shot down.