A Russian goal in the second leg at the Millennium Stadium on Wednesday will cause Mark Hughes’ side all the nail-biting anguish of previous glorious failures in the past.

The Newcastle midfielder said: “We have not achieved anything yet, it is not worth getting all excited because we have got to win on Wednesday.”

That was the general feeling as tired players and officials arrived back in Cardiff in the early hours of Sunday morning.

But Speed added: “It is not going to be a doddle just because we are at home on Wednesday.

“It was a good night in Moscow but we cannot rest on our laurels. They still have some fantastic players and they may even get a bit more space in Cardiff and they could hurt us at home.

“We have got to keep a clean sheet again because away goals count double. But we know all this, it is what we will be working on from now on. We have done only half the job, the other half is still to do.”

But Speed knows and understands the Welsh strengths.

“We are only a small country and we do not have massive resources,” he said.

“So we work as a team. We have to because we have no choice. The main thing is that we have got to work together, and stand together. That is what we did in Moscow.”

Team mate Robbie Savage agreed, saying: “It is an old cliché, but it is only half-time and 0-0.

“We all remembered that in Moscow at the break when it was goalless. The same thing happened in Italy when we were holding them scoreless at the break.

“And we all remember what happened in Milan when they went on to win 4-0 in the second period.

We learned a lot from that, and we let ourselves down badly. It was on our minds not to let it happen again.

“But we have won nothing yet, if we do not beat them on Wednesday, everything we achieved in Moscow will have been a waste of time.”