Nations League | Playoffs A/B | 1st Leg

Mar 20, 2025 at 7.45pm UK

Estadio Enrique Roca de Murcia

Ukraine vs Belgium

Match preview

Ukraine have spent the last two seasons in League B after being relegated from League A in the 2020-21 Nations League.

They are now two games away from a return to the top flight, having collected eight points from six games to finish one point clear of Georgia and Albania.

Ukraine bounced back from consecutive defeats to end the league phase on a four-match unbeaten run, including a 2-1 away win over Albania on Matchday 6 thanks to goals from Oleksandr Zinchenko and Roman Yaremchuk.

The Blue and Yellows will now face Belgium for the second time, having previously met at last year's European Championship.

The two sides played out a goalless draw in the final round of group matches, a result that condemned Ukraine to an early exit on goal difference after all four teams finished on four points.

Incidentally, Ukraine have scored in each of their six matches since meeting Belgium at Euro 2024, although they have kept just one clean sheet in that time.

Belgium are set to embark on a new era under Rudi Garcia after parting company with Domenico Tedesco following their underwhelming performances at Euro 2024 and in the Nations League.

Tedesco oversaw a last-16 exit at last year's European Championship before Belgium narrowly avoided automatic relegation after winning just one of their six league games.

After opening their Nations League campaign with a win over Israel, the Red Devils lost both home and away to France and drew 1-1 with Italy.

They ended the league phase with back-to-back 1-0 defeats to finish third, just above fourth on goal difference.

The Belgians are now in danger of being relegated to Serie A for the first time, although Garcia will be hoping to avoid that scenario in his first two games in charge of Napoli since being sacked in November.

The Red Devils will be determined to make a quick start in Murcia, having conceded the first goal in each of their last five matches.

Recent Performance

Ukraine Nations League form:LLWDDW

Belgium Nations League form:WLDLLL

Team News

Plymouth Argyle defender Maksym Talovierov has left Ukraine's training camp and returned to England after suffering a knee injury.

Mykhaylo Mudryk has started Ukraine's last five matches, but the Chelsea winger is currently suspended after testing positive for the banned substance meldonium late last year.

Striker Artem Dovbyk is likely to be preferred to Yaremchuk after scoring five goals in his last eight Serie A appearances for Roma.

As for Belgium, Thibaut Courtois is set to make his first international appearance since June 2023 after ending his exile from international football.

The Real Madrid shot-stopper had previously fallen out with Tedesco, but while he has now returned to the squad, Koen Casteels will not be included after the goalkeeper withdrew from selection in protest at Courtois' recall.

Garcia has also included Ameen Al-Dakhil and Michy Batshuayi in his squad, while Arthur Theate and Malick Fofana will miss out through injury.

Possible starting lineup

Ukraine possible starting lineup:

Trubin; Konoplya, Zabarnyi, Matvienko, Mykolenko; Kalyuzhnyi, Zinchenko, Sudakov; Tsygankov, Nazarenko; Dovbyk

Belgium possible starting lineup:

Courtois; Castagne, Faes, Debast, De Cuyper; De Bruyne, Tielemans, Vanaken; Doku, Trossard, Lukaku