The 1958 World Cup was the last time Wales qualified for a major football finals but a bad-tempered scoreless draw against Russia in the playoff first leg on Saturday puts them tantalisingly close to ending that wait in Cardiff.

Wales faced a nervous wait before the showdown at the Millennium Stadium after UEFA agreed to review video evidence following angry demands from the Russian camp that Ryan Giggs should be suspended for the second leg.

Russia claimed the Wales winger elbowed defender Vadim Evseev in an off-the-ball incident the referee failed to see in Moscow.

UEFA's verdict is expected on Tuesday.

After leading their qualifying group for so long Wales slipped up and allowed Italy to snatch the group winner's spot, condemning Mark Hughes' team to the lottery of the playoffs for next year's finals in Portugal.

Hughes is concerned his players seize their opportunity this time.

"You only get so many chances at this level, we should have qualified outright but now we have another opportunity and we intend to take it," Hughes said.

"But we must be very careful we do not get ahead of ourselves now. That is what happened in the qualifying games when we did not beat Serbia and Montenegro and Finland when we expected to.

"We have had false dawns before but we do not want any more glorious failures."

Goalkeeper Paul Jones said the players are ready to make history.

"It's our first chance and maybe our only chance," Jones told Sky Sports. "But this bunch of lads has been together for a few years under Mark and I think we can do it."

Scotland produced the performance of the weekend to stun Holland 1-0 in the first leg in Glasgow, but face a potential backlash in the Amsterdam ArenA against a team who dare not fail again after missing out on the 2002 World Cup finals.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy, whose rift with fellow striker Patrick Kluivert has eroded morale in the Dutch camp, rejected suggestions that his team could not put their personal rivalries aside for the national good.

"I don't think that's true," said the Manchester United forward. "We have a great group of players and a great team as well, so that's not the right way to describe us.

"It will be fantastic if we make it - there will be a big, big party in the whole of Holland. If we don't make it, it will be a big, big disaster for the whole of Holland."

Van Nistelrooy could win his personal battle with Patrick Kluivert if coach Dick Advocaat opts to break up their partnership which failed to work on Saturday.

Scotland coach Berti Vogts meanwhile insists attack is his side's only option.

"We are looking for one goal," he said. "We will not go to Amsterdam looking for a 0-0 - that is not my style."

Like Holland, Spain are another footballing giant for whom failure to qualify would be a disaster.

They lead Norway 2-1 going into the second leg in chilly Oslo, but their opponents' defensive tactics in the first leg in Valencia drew criticism from Spain midfielder Joaquin Sanchez.

"It's so different from the Spanish style of play that they deserve to be fined," Joaquin told the Marca website on Monday.

"The thing is, they don't even try to play any differently."

In the two other playoffs, Latvia defend a 1-0 lead against World Cup semi-finalists Turkey in Istanbul and Slovenia host Croatia in Ljubljana after the first leg finished 1-1.

Turkey, whose place in the playoffs followed their failure to beat England last month in Istanbul, get one more chance to exploit a home advantage.

Senol Gunes's men need victory not only to avenge a shock defeat and secure a place at Euro 2004, but to show that their third-place World Cup finish was no flash in the pan and that Turkey are genuinely an emerging force in the game.

Turkey were clearly affected by the pressure and the crowd's expectations in their 0-0 draw with England and can ill-afford to fall into the same trap a second time.

Croatia, who finished third at the 1998 World Cup, are facing the prospect of elimination by the away rules goal after being held at home by Slovenia.

Croatian hopes of qualifying will inevitably rest on Dado Prso, who scored four times in Monaco's remarkable 8-3 demolition of Deportivo Coruna a fortnight ago and opened the scoring after five minutes in Zagreb.