On Sunday, March 23, the Ukrainian national team played the second leg against the Belgian national team in the Nations League playoffs for the right to compete in Division "A" of this tournament next season. The match took place in Genk at the "Cegeka Arena".
Nations League 2024/25. Playoff for a place in Division "A". Second leg
BELGIUM — UKRAINE — 3:0 (0:0)
Goals: de Keyper (70), Lukaku (75, 86)
First match — 1:3
Warnings: Raskin (5), Vanaken (90+4) — Zabarnyi (12), Zinchenko (29), Hutsulyak (45+1), Vanat (58)
Ukraine: 1.Lunin — 13.Zabarnyi, 4.Svatok (9.Yaremchuk, 89), 22.Matviyenko (C) — 17.Zinchenko, 6.Kalyuzhny, 18.Yarmolyuk, 16.Mykolenko (3.Mykhailichenko, 68) — 19.Hutsulyak (7.Yarmolenko, 89), 8.Sudakov (15.Tsygankov, 68) — 21.Vanat (11.Dovbyk, 68).
Substitutes: 12.Trubin, 23.Ryznick, 2.Bondar, 5.Nazarina, 10.Shaparenko, 11.Dovbyk, 14.Buyalsky, 15.Tsygankov, 20.Nazarenko.
Belgium: 13.Sels, 2.Debast, 4.Vas, 6.Raskin (19.Heinen, 90), 7.De Bruyne (C), 10.Lukaku, 11.Trossard (8.Salemakers, 69), 15.Menyes (5.de Keyper, 69), 20.Vanaken, 21.Castaign, 22.Doku.
Substitutes: 1.Courtois, 12.Vandevoorde, 3.Mokhio, 9.Openda, 14.Lukaku, 16.De Winter, 17.De Ketelaere, 18.Mehele, 23.Batshuayi.
Match statistics >>>
Post-match press conference >>>
The Belgian national team predictably gained full control from the starting whistle, and the pressure on the Ukrainian national team’s goal was felt in everything happening on the football field. However, it didn’t lead to any real danger. Only in the 23rd minute did the Belgians create their first goal-scoring opportunity — De Bruyne shot from the edge of the penalty area, and the ball flew over the crossbar.
The Belgian national team dictated the play until the halftime whistle, and in the 36th minute came very close to success: after a corner from the left wing, Vanat tried to intercept the ball but deflected it onto the post of his own goal. Then De Bruyne took a free-kick curling the ball under the crossbar, and Lunin had to show a high level of reaction. Nevertheless, the problems for the Ukrainian team in the first half ended there.
After the break, Belgium, it seemed, rushed even more zealously towards the Ukrainian goal. Already in the 51st minute, Lunin saved his team, foot-kicking the ball away after a shot from a few meters. Then Lukaku notably neglected the Ukrainians: after a corner, he shot with his head from two meters without any obstacles but managed to shoot wide. An incredible miss!
But in the 70th minute, the Belgian national team finally opened the scoring. Another penetrating attack by the home team into the Ukrainian penalty area ended with a pass from Doku to de Keyper, who sent the ball into the corner of Lunin's goal from close range — 1:0. Just three minutes later, the Belgians almost doubled their lead — Vanaken, closing a diagonal chance from the wing, headed the ball from about six meters, and only Lunin's brilliant reaction saved the Ukrainian national team from conceding a second goal.
However, in the 75th minute, the score did change: De Bruyne delivered a cross from the left into the penalty area, and there Lukaku, with an impressive dive shot, left Lunin no chance — 2:0. The Ukrainian team immediately responded with a header from Dovbyk right into the corner of the Belgian goal, but Sels saved his team, pushing the match to a corner.
And in the 86th minute, Lukaku decided the fate of this two-match confrontation: he burst into the "blue-yellow" penalty area from the right, shook off Svatok, and with a confident shot sent the ball into the far corner of Lunin's goal — 3:0.
Thus, on aggregate over the two matches (3:1, 0:3), the Ukrainian national team lost and will continue to compete in Division "B" of the Nations League next season.
Alexander POPOV
