Belgians were pleasantly surprised by the national team’s performance in the return match against Ukraine (3:0) in the Nations League playoffs. Many were sure that after the defeat in Spain (1:3) the team would collapse and would just go through the motions in Genk, but instead, Rudi Garcia's team played bright attacking football, effectively not allowing Ukraine to leave their half of the field, securing a confident 3:0 victory that allowed them to maintain their place in Division A for the next season.
Separately, I would like to note that the Belgians praised the coach—Rudi Garcia—after the victory. After his appointment, many doubted his qualifications, and the defeat to Ukraine in the first match further intensified the criticism of the coach. But many attribute the victory in Genk specifically to Garcia, who was prepared for all of Rebrov’s "surprises" and managed to tactically outplay him.
Daulie: FANTASTIC!!! After 1:3, I no longer believed in this team, but Belgium showed character again! 3:0—that’s the response! Garcia outplayed Rebrov, made the right conclusions, and proved that we deserve to play in League A!
Viliuc: Incredible! I was sure it was all over after the first match, but our team performed a miracle! Garcia tactically destroyed Rebrov, and the players showed they were not broken! I am proud of Belgium!
Garen: What was that?! 3:0 after 1:3—that’s the best comeback I’ve seen from our team! Rudi Garcia showed who’s the boss here! We remain in League A, and that’s absolutely deserved!
Dujeux: Bravo, Belgium! Garcia's tactical genius and the character of the players—that’s the secret of this comeback! After 1:3, it seemed that all was lost, but they proved it wasn't! A magnificent victory!
Veerle: Huge respect to Garcia! He completely outplayed Rebrov, made the right adjustments, motivated the team—and the result is on the scoreboard! 3:0—that's the revenge we deserved!
Gorus: I didn't believe we could come back, but Garcia proved he knows what he's doing! Tactically, our team was head and shoulders above in the second match, plus great substitutions from Garcia. A great victory that showed why Belgians never give up!
Delsemme: This is the evening when we saw the real Belgium! Garcia brilliantly prepared the team, each player gave 100%! How nice it is to see our team strong again!
Bosman: How nice it is to be wrong! I thought after 1:3 we had no chance, but Garcia proved otherwise! Tactical destruction of the opponent, power, aggression—that was an ideal game!
Lemoine: Belgium again showed that it knows how to fight until the end! Garcia won the duel against Rebrov, and the team proved it’s not for nothing that they play in League A. 3:0—a well-deserved triumph! This is one of those cases when you want to be proud of your team.
Carlier: When everyone said Belgium had collapsed, Garcia proved that we have character! He has character, the players have character! 3:0 after 1:3—an incredible comeback! We remain in the elite!
Erwin: Garcia taught Rebrov a tactical lesson! After the first match everything seemed disastrous, but he outsmarted the opponent, and the team played flawlessly. A fantastic evening!
Nieuw: Honestly, I thought we had no chance after the first match. But Garcia is a genius! He analyzed the mistakes, made the right substitutions, and here’s the result—3:0! It was magnificent!
Delforge: This is the Belgium I want to see! After the first match, everything looked grim, but Garcia turned the situation around, and the team delivered a perfect match! An incredible comeback!
Hannay: We didn't just win, we destroyed them! After 1:3 we were in a knockout, but Garcia led us to victory! He outplayed Rebrov, who wanted to "surprise" us with a parked bus in front of Lunin's goal. Our team played one of the best matches in a long time!
Richelin: I don’t recognize this team! We proved we can come back even from the most difficult situations! Thank you, Garcia, for his competent work and a magnificent victory! 3:0 after 1:3—that’s what it means to be a top team! Garcia made the right conclusions, and the players responded to the criticism with their gameplay! I am proud of Belgium!
Geens: We deserved this victory! Garcia showed he can learn from mistakes! The first match was a failure, but the second was a true masterpiece! After 1:3 I wasn’t expecting a miracle, but it happened! Garcia outplayed Rebrov, and the team fought for every second! 3:0—that’s splendid!
Joffroy: Rebrov's bus fell apart on the move, and the driver turned out to be a charlatan. The Ukrainian coach proved he achieved victory in the first match by accident. If it weren't for that fatal defensive error, we would have also won the first match, I am sure of it. Everything he "devised" in the return match was to make the whole team sit back on defense. As footballers say, he parked the bus. Only this bus turned out to be broken and couldn’t withstand the journey.
Montoisy: Now that’s a response! Belgium showed that we can't be written off! We remain in League A, and that’s just the beginning! Garcia is a tactical master! If anyone doubted Garcia—just watch this match! He didn’t just save Belgium, he gave us hope! Magnificent coaching skills!
Crombe: After the first match, it was painful, but today I rejoice! 3:0—the perfect response! Garcia is a master tactician! We didn’t just win, we proved that Belgium remains among the best! Garcia did everything right, and the team delivered a stunning match!
Hennau: I couldn't believe we could come back, but Garcia believed! And here’s the result—a crushing victory! Magnificent! Rudi Garcia is the man who saved Belgium! He outplayed Rebrov, inspired the team, and we showed character! 3:0—that’s a celebration for all of us!
Pirve: 3:0 after 1:3—that's the best victory in a long time! These are incredible emotions! Garcia and the team are heroes! Now that’s character! We didn’t just come back; we proved that Belgium is a great team!
Jansegers: I shouted with joy! Garcia showed we have a future, and the team responded to the criticism with their game! A wonderful Belgium! Garcia worked his magic, and the team gave us an unforgettable match! Bravo!
Dmitry Malyanov
