The legendary forward of Kyiv’s Dynamo Igor Belanov commented on the victory of the Ukrainian national team over the Belgian national team (3:1) in the first playoff match of the Nations League for the right to compete in division "A" of this tournament, which took place yesterday in Murcia.
Igor Belanov— First of all, I want to congratulate our team on winning against such a tough opponent as the Belgians. The guys did well, showing character and will to win. I am very happy about this. After the first half, which, unfortunately, didn’t go in our favor, we managed to turn the game around in the second half and achieve the desired result.
To be honest, I was counting on a draw before the match, because no matter what, Belgium is Belgium. But I also didn’t take into account one thing: time goes on, and it happens that a certain opponent no longer has the same level as before.
If we talk about our team, I would very much like the coaches to trust the young players more, who can show themselves in the best light. We saw this in the example of Barcelona and the Spanish national team, which tore apart everything that moved.
Therefore, the victory over Belgium indicates that we are growing in our level, and our youth is beginning to understand that they need to demonstrate their good qualities, not the opposite. I can say one thing: Sergey Rebrov is on the right path.
— How do you see the flow of events in the return match?
It is clear that the Belgians will need to think about how to score two goals at home — and only then will there be parity in this duel. Therefore, the main thing for our team is not to allow this under any circumstances. It is clear that the Belgian national team, which was considered the favorite of this confrontation even before the match in Murcia, will not play exclusively defensively at home. Therefore, our team needs to be attentive enough.
In a game against such an opponent, it is important to maintain game discipline while applying those qualities that can guarantee a positive result — selflessness and will to win. I am confident that with great desire, our team is capable of achieving a positive result. I believe in Rebrov and our footballers.
Andrei Pisarenko
