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Oleksandr Zinchenko made it into a Nations League A qualifying play-offs Team of the Week after providing an assist for Ukraine against Belgium on Thursday night.

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Arsenal duo Oleksandr Zinchenko and Leandro Trossard both started Ukraine’s Nations League quarter-final first leg against Belgium on Thursday night, but on opposite sides of the pitch.

For Zinchenko, it was a great night, with Ukraine winning 3-1 and the 28-year-old assisting the third goal. Zinchenko whipped an accurate cross into the penalty area for Illia Zabarnyi to finish from close range.

As for Trossard, it was a very disappointing defeat, with Belgium having led 1-0 until a 12-minute collapse between the 66th and 78th minutes of the game left them two goals behind. Trossard was substituted in the 80th minute.

WhoScored’s Nations League A qualifying play-offs Team of the Week

Zinchenko made it into WhoScored’s Nations League A qualifying play-offs Team of the Week with a 7.57 rating, with 90% completed passes, three chances created including one big chance and one assist, and also hitting the woodwork with a long-range free-kick.

Belgium will have the chance to put things right on Sunday, as this was just the first leg of the tie.

The second leg will be back in their home country, and the team won’t want to be relegated in front of their own supporters.

Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images

As for what this all means, the two teams are playing to secure a spot in League A of the Nations League next season. The loser will play in League B.

For Ukraine, this is a chance to achieve promotion, having played in League B last time around. The team finished second in their group to the Czech Republic, missing out on automatic promotion, which is why they’re now involved in the play-offs.

As for Belgium, they’re trying to avoid relegation after finishing third in their League A group behind France and Italy. It was somewhat of a group of death, but Belgium would still be disappointed to have won just one game from six.