Belgium’s hopes of retaining their place in League A of the UEFA Nations League took a severe blow after a 3-1 defeat against Ukraine in the first leg of their promotion-relegation play-off on Friday.
Romelu Lukaku, who scored Belgium’s only goal, did not hold back in his assessment of the team’s performance, citing a lack of mental strength as a key issue.
The Red Devils appeared to be in control when Lukaku broke the deadlock in the 40th minute, rising high to meet Kevin De Bruyne’s free-kick and nodding home his 86th international goal.
However, Ukraine mounted an impressive second-half comeback to stun Rudi Garcia’s men, leaving Belgium with a mountain to climb in the return leg in Genk.
Ukraine’s Second-Half Surge
Despite Belgium’s first-half lead, Ukraine always looked dangerous going forward. The warning signs were there as Oleksandr Zinchenko struck the woodwork with a well-taken free-kick before halftime.
The visitors’ pressure paid off in the 66th minute when substitute Oleksii Hutsuliak found himself in the right place to slot home from close range, bringing Ukraine level.
The momentum had firmly shifted, and Belgium struggled to cope. Just minutes later, Vladyslav Vanat fired Ukraine ahead before Illia Zabarnyi added a third, guiding Zinchenko’s looping cross into the net to complete a stunning turnaround.
It was a disappointing start for Garcia, who took charge of Belgium for the first time, with his team now facing a daunting task in the second leg.
Lukaku: ‘We Have a Mental Problem’
Speaking after the game, Lukaku expressed his frustration with Belgium’s inability to maintain control and resist Ukraine’s second-half dominance.
“It was about winning the duels, and we had problems putting pressure,” Lukaku admitted. “That was abundantly clear. Especially in midfield, there was not enough pressure. We didn’t find any solutions and that’s a shame.”
The statistics supported Lukaku’s argument. Belgium won 54.2% of their duels over the course of the match but struggled in key moments. In the second half, they contested 28 duels but won just 39.3%, while their success rate in tackles was only 50% (3 out of 6).
Lukaku, who has been Belgium’s talisman for over a decade, believes the team is lacking the winning mentality that defined previous generations.
“We have a mental problem,” he continued. “We have to cultivate a mentality as a team again because then we won’t concede any goals. That’s where it starts—winning duels.”
‘This Is Unacceptable’
The Belgian striker acknowledged that the squad is in a transitional phase, with younger players coming into the fold. However, he insisted that their performance against Ukraine was below the standards expected at international level.
“We have to rebuild from scratch,” he said. “We have a new generation, but we can’t lose like this. This is unacceptable. The older players can help with this, but we have to analyse where it went wrong.”
Belgium now faces an uphill battle in the second leg on Tuesday, where they will need to overturn a two-goal deficit to avoid relegation from League A.
With questions over the team’s mentality and tactical clarity under their new coach, the Red Devils will need a significant turnaround to keep their place among Europe’s elite.
