Garcia Tests Onana in Defense as Belgique Faces Croatie – Belgique

Rudi Garcia sent Belgium into croatie – belgique with Amadou Onana in central defense and Jérémy Doku as a second striker. The move gives Belgium a 3-5-2 shape and puts a midfielder into the back line for a major match.

Onana in the back three

Onana was preferred to De Winter and Mechele in the three-man defense, with Ngoy to his right and Arthur Theate to his left. Garcia had switched to three defenders during the match against the United States, but he had not started that way before this selection.

That choice leaves Saelemaekers and De Cuyper as the wing-backs, while Meunier and Castagne are out of the starting eleven. Kevin De Bruyne will operate as a number 10, which keeps Belgium’s shape close to the one Roberto Martinez used throughout his time as coach.

Doku beside De Ketelaere

Doku starts in support of De Ketelaere rather than from a wide role, and Raskin keeps his place alongside Tielemans in midfield because of Onana’s move. It is a different balance for Belgium: more cover in central areas, less reliance on the usual full-back options.

Fernandez-Pardo is expected to come on during the match for his first cap, and he should finish alongside Romelu Lukaku. Lukaku hopes to get some playing time, giving Garcia another attacking option if the game opens up.

Garcia’s first 3-5-2 start

The bigger takeaway is the structure Garcia chose, not just the names inside it. Belgium is starting in a 3-5-2 for this match, with Onana in the back three and Doku pushed into the front line, a setup that asks several players to take on roles they do not usually fill from the opening whistle.

For Belgium, that means the match begins with a tactical bet rather than a familiar lineup. If the system holds, Garcia will have a clearer picture of whether Onana can anchor the defense against Croatia and whether Doku can carry the attacking burden beside De Ketelaere.