In the first leg of the UEFA Nations League playoff against Belgium, the Ukrainian national team faced significant challenges but showcased incredible resilience and determination. Despite two forced substitutions and an early conceded goal, the Ukrainian squad turned the game around in spectacular fashion, scoring three goals in just 13 minutes to secure a 3-1 victory.

The match started brightly for Ukraine, with Viktor Tsygankov and Roman Yaremchuk testing Thibaut Courtois early on. However, the Belgian goalkeeper stood firm, denying both attempts. The game took a turn when Konoplya suffered an injury after a collision with Leandro Trossard, forcing Serhiy Rebrov to make an early substitution, bringing on Oleksandr Sych.

Belgium capitalized on the momentum shift, with Kevin De Bruyne orchestrating their attacks. After a series of dangerous crosses, De Bruyne delivered a perfect free-kick, and Romelu Lukaku headed the ball into the far corner to give Belgium the lead.

In the second half, De Bruyne continued to threaten, but Andriy Lunin made crucial saves to keep Ukraine in the game. The turning point came when Sych was also forced off due to injury, prompting Oleksandr Zinchenko to shift to right-back. Zinchenko nearly equalized with a stunning free-kick that hit the post, but it was a sign of things to come.

Ukraine's triple substitution proved to be a masterstroke. In a breathtaking 13-minute spell, they scored three goals to stun Belgium. First, Hutsuliak intercepted a poor pass from De Winter and slotted the ball past Courtois. Then, Sudakov set up Tsygankov, who delivered a low cross for Vanat to tap in. Finally, from a corner, Zinchenko curled a shot into the far corner, with Ilya Zabarnyi making sure it crossed the line.

Ukraine didn't stop there, as Sudakov and Vanat came close to adding more goals. Despite Belgium's late push, Ukraine's defense held firm, and the match ended 3-1 in favor of the hosts.

Nations League 2024-2025

Ukraine - Belgium 3:1 (0:1)
Goals: Lukaku R., 40 (0:1); Hutsuliak, 66 (1:1); Vanat, 73 (2:1); Zabarnyi, 78 (3:1)

Ukraine: Lunin Andriy; Zabarnyi; Konoplya (Sych O., 25; Yarmoliuk, 61); Matviyenko; Mykolenko; Zinchenko; Kaliuzhnyi (Nazaryna, 87); Sudakov; Tsygankov; Shaparenko (Vanat, 62); Yaremchuk (Hutsuliak, 62)
Bench: Riznyk D.; Trubin; Svatok; Buyalskiy; Mikhaylichenko B.; Nazarenko Ol-r; Yarmolenko

Belgium: Courtois; De Winter K. (Raskin, 80); De Cuyper (Mokio, 88); Debast; Meunier; Mechele; De Bruyne (Vanaken, 70); De Ketelaere (Lukebakio, 70); Tielemans; Lukaku R.; Trossard (Saelemaekers, 80)
Bench: Sels; Lammens; Al Dakhil; Faes; Heynen; Doku J.; Batshuayi
Yellow Cards: Tielemans 68