Ukraine Claims Dominant 3-1 Victory Over Belgium in UEFA Playoff

MURCIA, Spain — Ukraine secured a commanding 3-1 victory against Belgium on March 20, 2025, in the first leg of the UEFA Nations League playoff, much to the delight of a spirited home crowd at Estadio Enrique Roca.

The match saw Belgium, under the new management of Rudi Garcia, struggle to adapt despite the return of star goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who had not played for the national team since June 2023 due to a fallout with former coach Domenico Tedesco.

Belgium initially took the lead with a goal from Romelu Lukaku in the 39th minute, following a well-struck free kick by Kevin De Bruyne. However, Ukraine rallied in the second half, turning the tide with three goals in just 12 minutes.

Post-game, Garcia noted, “We started strong but failed to maintain our composure. We need to learn from this defeat to improve.” Courtois, who played valiantly with several key saves, expressed disappointment in the team’s defensive errors, specifically a costly mistake by defender Koni De Winter that led directly to Ukraine’s equalizer.

In the 65th minute, Oleksii Hutsuliak equalized for Ukraine with a simple finish after De Winter failed to deal with a through ball. Just seven minutes later, Vladyslav Vanat capitalized on another defensive lapse, giving Ukraine a 2-1 lead. Illia Zabarnyi capped off the scoring in the 77th minute with a powerful header from a corner kick.

The match’s officiating crew, led by referee Sandro Schärer, issued a yellow card to Belgium’s Youri Tielemans for a foul in the 67th minute but did not send any players off during the contest.

Garcia, now facing significant pressure, is tasked with turning around Belgium’s fortunes in the return leg on March 23 in Ghent, where a victory is crucial to avoid relegation in the Nations League.

“We have a chance to make amends at home. We need our fans behind us and to learn from our mistakes,” Garcia added. The pressure builds as Belgium searches for a much-needed victory to salvage their national campaign.