Ukraine vs Belgium Predictions

• Ukraine have not beaten a top-class nation since 2020 (Spain)
• Belgium are beginning anew under Rudi Garcia with Thibaut Courtois back in the fold
• Belgium were the better side when these met at Euro 2024 last summer
• There is no home advantage for Ukraine

Garcia attempts to steady rocky Red Devils’ ship

A new dawn for Belgium football begins on Thursday as Rudi Garcia takes charge of his first Red Devils game when they travel to Murcia to face Ukraine in a Nations League play-off. The coach seems to have fared well during his first two months in charge, as he has not yet fallen out with any big names.

Predecessor Domenico Tedesco lost Belgium’s his only remaining world-class star when Thibaut Courtois got in a huff over the captaincy and the coach before that, Roberto Martinez, allowed super egos to rule the dressing room to the detriment of others. So Garcia has wisely appointed a player who endured some of that, Eden Hazard, to his backroom team and travelled all over Europe to coax some of those unhappy stars like Courtois Kevin de Bruyne and back into the fold.

The build-up to Thursday’s game seems to be positive and Belgium have every chance of getting off on the right foot against a Ukraine side that scraped into second place in League B by a point. It was still a decent achievement given they played their three home games in Prague, Poznan and Wroclaw due to the war.

Dovbyk doesn’t convince for Ukraine 

They also drew 0-0 with the Red Devils at Euro 2024, although that was a result that knocked them out and saw Belgium move through to the last-16. That clash highlighted Ukraine’s current plight – the lack of a top-class striker to make a difference in tight games.

And although Artem Dovbyk scored 24 league goals for Girona last season and has struck almost one in every two Serie A games for Roma this term, his international scoring record is disappointing. He managed just three strikes in nine starts and three five substitute appearances across Ukraine’s Euro 2024 qualifiers and Nations League B games.

Serhiy Rebrov’s side will compete, as they always do, and may well score in Murcia, but Belgium’s superior quality should see them to victory if they turn up in the right frame of mind. A 2-1 win for the Red Devils looks the likeliest score given Ukraine have shipped multiple goals in recent clashes with mid-ranking European opponents like Albania and Czechia and Belgium didn’t keep a clean sheet in any of their six League A matches last autumn.