Former player of Lviv’s "Karpaty" Ihor Khudobyak shared his expectations for the rematch in the playoff round of the Nations League between the national teams of Belgium and Ukraine.
Ihor Khudobyak— I think the return match will be very interesting. Belgium will attack a lot, while Ukraine will defend. Ukraine needs to play very well, organized and disciplined in defense, as well as create chances on counterattacks. The main thing is not to press too close to your goal and to catch the Belgians on counterattacks well.
The Belgians will play at home, so they will want to score an early goal and will go on the attack from the first minutes. Therefore, Ukraine should not always sit back defensively — it is important to counterattack wisely and control the ball at times. The key is not to drop too low and not to be pinned back against the goal. It is also necessary not to play solely to hold the score or to engage in an open game in end-to-end exchanges.
It is likely that Ukraine will opt for a medium defensive block, trying to play on counterattacks and defend reliably. I think Hutsulyak and Vanat deserve a place in the starting lineup, but it all depends on the training process and the recovery of the players. The coaching staff will have to make a difficult decision regarding the starting lineup.
The biggest problem is the right-back position. Zinchenko performed very well there in the last 30 minutes of the first game, but I believe the return match will be more defensive. Therefore, a defender who excels in tackles is needed. Perhaps Mykhailichenko will play, or Ukraine might switch to a scheme with three central defenders, where one of them will cover the right flank. In that case, Svatok or someone else from the defenders will play on the right but will participate less in the attack.
It will be very painful and regrettable if we do not get past the Belgian national team after the first match, as we have a two-goal cushion. A loss would be very unpleasant. But I believe that everything will turn out well: Ukraine will play reliably in defense, will act compactly and will give all their strength on the field. I think our national team will not lose to Belgium — it will be a draw, said Khudobyak.
