Nations League: Between Rudi Garcia's debut and Thibaut Courtois' return, focus on Belgium-Ukraine

The national championships take a backseat for a week. It's time for the national teams as Nations League enters its decisive phase. For us, all eyes will be on the double showdown between Belgium and Ukraine.

Usually, the March international break doesn’t excite fans or players, who are more focused on preserving themselves for their club’s crucial end-of-season matches. But this year, things are different.

Because the Red Devils have a new coach, and Thibaut Courtois is back in the squad. Here’s everything you need to know about Belgium’s two matches, so you can place your bets wisely on GoldenVegas Sport.

*Odds are subject to change. Event ends: March 20 at 8:45 PM.

Garcia already under pressure

The entire Belgian nation is eagerly awaiting Thursday’s match. Rudi Garcia begins his journey with the Red Devils in the charming Nueva Condomina stadium in Murcia. This match is being played in Spain due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, Belgium’s opponent. Since the start of the conflict, the Ukrainians have been unable to play at home, but that hasn’t stopped them from achieving strong results.

Chelsea star Mykhailo Mudryk and his teammates finished second in their League B Nations League group, just behind the Czech Republic. This earned them the chance to compete in a playoff against the Red Devils, who have only one goal: to maintain their spot in League A.

This is the main challenge of this doubleheader, with the return leg set for Sunday. Garcia will meet the Belgian crowd for the first time—not at the Heysel but in Genk. The federation has decided to host the national team’s matches in different stadiums across Belgium to engage with fans nationwide. But before that, will the former Marseille coach make a winning debut with a victory by more than one goal?

*Odds are subject to change. Event ends on March 23 at 8:45 PM.

Courtois makes his return

A new coach often means changes to the squad. Rudi Garcia’s first selection brought its share of surprises, but it was the return of Thibaut Courtois that made headlines. The Real Madrid goalkeeper had not played for Belgium since June 18, 2023, after falling out with former coach Domenico Tedesco over the captaincy. "I exploded when he announced that I wouldn’t get the armband," Courtois admitted. "I felt like he didn’t acknowledge or respect me. I know I don’t have an easy personality. I don’t hide from the media, I react emotionally, but this should have been settled internally."

The coaching change helped ease tensions within the squad, though some issues remain. Koen Casteels, who replaced Courtois at Euro 2024, announced his international retirement, claiming the federation had "rolled out the red carpet" for his former teammate. He also added that "many players in the squad felt the same way."

His statement caused quite a stir, but Youri Tielemans quickly tried to defuse the situation in a press conference. "We had a good conversation with Thibaut. He explained his perspective. We cleared things up, and now we just want to move forward."

No room for error for the Red Devils

Looking to the future while bringing back players who had shined in the past—this sums up Rudi Garcia’s first squad list. Unlike his predecessor, the former Lille coach has drawn from the Belgian league to build his team. Club Brugge duo Hans Vanaken and Brandon Mechele have returned, while ex-Standard player Nicolas Raskin has received his first call-up.

Following Malick Fofana’s injury, Michy Batshuayi has also been drafted in at the last minute. But who among Batshuayi, Romelu Lukaku, or Lois Openda will manage to beat Anatoliy Trubin in goal?

*Odds are subject to change. Event ends on March 20 at 8:45 PM.

A failure in these matches would be a major setback and could already weaken Garcia ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. By betting responsibly, take advantage of this opportunity to place your wagers on this match and all other Nations League games. Benefit from a 25% BetXtra Live boost on competition fixtures and a 50% BetXtra Combi boost when placing bets on at least four selections.