Away game against Wales! Belgium coach: Our goal is to win. Lukaku’s absence is not a big problem

October 13th: Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia said in an interview that he believes his team has the ability to defeat Wales in an away game and win this key battle in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Have you made any special preparations for this game against Wales after winning 4-3 in the first leg?

We have only one goal and that is to win here (Cardiff). As Courtois said, it is our duty to play this kind of game in such a stadium and in front of such fans, and we should love it. This is awesome. We just have to enjoy the atmosphere and show the best of Belgium. We had a lot of great performances in the first leg. We could have scored more goals and they played well in the second half and made it 3-3 at one point. Since yesterday we have been working hard to improve certain aspects of our game.

Why is it so difficult to replace Lukaku?

Lukaku is unique, but he is not here now. Since the start of the qualifiers, we have been far ahead in attack (17 goals scored). Without him we still scored 12 goals in two games. We will definitely use a No. 9 player. I'm lucky with the different types of players I have. There are many factors to consider: the player's current form, confidence, and style of play. Most importantly, we have to have solutions. I personally don't like relying on just one shooter.

Furthermore, in addition to the player at position 9, there is another important thing, that is, our destiny is in our own hands. We have a lot of respect for Wales, they are a very good team. We know we have a second favorable outcome to choose from. If we can't win, then at least we have to get a draw. But we are determined to get three points.

Do you feel the pressure?

Yes, because when we are a strong team, and Belgium is a strong team, we always fight to win games. The greatest pressure is the one we put on ourselves because of our desire to perform well. It's a pure pleasure to play in a stadium like this. It's much better than playing in an empty stadium with no atmosphere, or against a weak team. It's also an opportunity to show what kind of team we are and what kind of character the players have on a collective and individual level.

Have you heard the criticism that you did not field Batshuayi against North Macedonia?

Some of you make me laugh sometimes. When a player makes the roster, there are those who say he shouldn't be on the roster. And during the game, the same player you didn't want at the beginning was said to have played. I make choices based on what I see. When we win, we are always right; when we don't win, this is the coach's fate. In those moments, everyone becomes a coach. I have enough experience to ignore it and focus on the next game with my team. We play as a team.

Wales must win in order to hope to qualify. Does this mean you will have more space?

I think we can do everything. We know how to score goals in positional battles, although we had some bad luck against North Macedonia. The previous two games showed that we can also score efficiently against teams that defend intensively. We created enough chances and goals that even on Friday we could have finished with a few goals. We're also really good in transition, and we showed that in the first round. We were able to score with a quick offense. A good team must be able to handle many different situations. We have our advantages: we have very good passers and fast attackers who can break through in one-on-one situations.

But yes, we expect Wales to be more attacking than the opponents we faced on Friday. However, it's not difficult to be more offensive than them. But as Courtois said, their high press can also be effective. In the first round, we were often able to crack it, but not always. So we need to be very good tactically, physically, with intensity and mentally because I think we need to use our brains on the court. That's the advantage of having great players and leaders, like Courtois, De Bruyne or others... Meunier, I'm definitely missing some.