Thibaut Courtois: 'not best start for Belgium but it’s good to take defeat like this to wake up for return match'
Belgium national team goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has commented on the 1-3 loss to Ukraine in the first leg of the Nations League play-offs.
"In the first half, we controlled the match well, barring the opening 10 minutes. In the second half, I reckon they pressed harder, and we needed to find space to push forward better, but we couldn’t manage it.
"The first goal came from a dodgy pass. We should’ve kept our cool, but we didn’t. Ukraine gained confidence, and instead of regaining control, we just couldn’t do it. It’s gutting to concede three goals in 15 minutes, but we’ve got belief in ourselves, and we can put in a solid performance on Sunday.
"After that first goal, we had 10 minutes where we weren’t organised enough, left too much space, and at this level, you pay a heavy price for that. But we’ve got to stay calm - it’s the first match with a new gaffer, and we need to figure out what he wants. We’ve watched loads of video, but two training sessions aren’t enough.
"It’s not the best start for us, but sometimes it’s good to take a defeat like this to wake up for Sunday. We’ve got to play better, attack better, defend better - together. On Sunday, we need to come out firing from the first minute," Courtois said.
