The goalkeeper of the Belgium national team Thibaut Courtois commented on his team’s defeat to the national team of Ukraine (1:3) in the first play-off match of the Nations League for the right to compete in Division "A" of this tournament, which took place yesterday in Murcia.
Thibaut Courtois"In the first half, we controlled the game well, except for the first 10 minutes. In the second half, I think the Ukrainians pressed harder than us, and we needed to find space to attack, but we failed to do that.
The first goal we conceded was due to a poor pass. The score was equalized, and we should have kept our composure, which we did not do. Ukraine, on the other hand, gained confidence. We were unable to change this imbalance. We were not organized enough; we gave the opponent too much space, and at this level, that costs dearly.
It’s frustrating to concede three goals in 15 minutes, but we are confident that we can play a good return match. We must keep our composure; this is the first match with the new coach, and we still need to find the style of play he wants to see from us. Two training sessions are not enough for that.
Yes, this is not the best start for us, but sometimes it’s useful to accept such a defeat to wake up for the return match. We need to play better on Sunday, attack better, defend better, all together. And we must start strongly from the first minute of the game,” Courtois was quoted by rtl.be.
