Liège’s Stadium Standard had barely settled into its Nations League evening when Kevin De Bruyne gave Belgium the control Turkey had feared. The midfielder struck in the 10th minute, finishing a quick combination with a precise low shot into the corner, to put the hosts 1-0 ahead in their third group match.
Turkey had arrived needing a response after opening the campaign with two defeats. Another loss would leave Vincenzo Montella’s side without a point from three games, while Belgium began the night on three points from their opening two fixtures.
Quick facts
- Belgium led Turkey 1-0 after 17 minutes through Kevin De Bruyne.
- The match was played on Friday, 2 October 2026, at 20:45 in Liège.
- Rohit Saggi of Norway was the referee, with Bastian Dankert overseeing VAR.
- Turkey goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır returned after suspension.
- Belgium were without suspended Diego Moreira, while Thibaut Courtois and Jérémy Doku were not in the squad.
De Bruyne’s intervention followed an energetic but unsettled opening. Mika Godts drove into the Turkish area and went down after a challenge, but Saggi allowed play to continue rather than award a penalty. Dodi Lukebakio also avoided a yellow card after arriving late in an early tackle.
Arda Güler was Turkey’s clearest creative outlet in the opening stages. The Real Madrid player repeatedly looked for possession, carried the ball forward and attempted to connect attacks, though support around him was limited as Belgium held their shape after taking the lead.
Mark van Bommel selected Lammens in goal behind Timothy Castagne, Brandon Mechele, Zeno Debast’s replacement Nathan Ngoy and Maxim De Cuyper. Hans Vanaken and Youri Tielemans joined De Bruyne in midfield, with Godts, Lukebakio and Charles De Ketelaere leading the attack.
Montella set Turkey up with Çakır behind Abdülkerim Bardakcı, Zeki Çelik and Merih Demiral. Ferdi Kadıoğlu, Bartuğ Elmaz and İsmail Yüksek formed the next line, while Kerem Aktürkoğlu, Güler, Yılmaz and Oğuz Aydın were tasked with finding a way back into the contest.
Belgium’s squad was affected by more than Moreira’s suspension following his card against France. Romeo Lavia and Mike Penders had fitness concerns, while Courtois and Doku were absent from the selection altogether.
Turkey, meanwhile, had recovered Çakır after his ban. Montella had urged his players to put behind them the opening half-hour of their 4-1 defeat to Italy, saying the team had failed to run together and lost belief during that damaging spell. He also pointed to the physical and mental demands of playing elite-level matches every three days.
Van Bommel’s other selection decision concerned Romelu Lukaku, Belgium’s all-time leading scorer. Lukaku had remained on the bench throughout the France match, had played only eight minutes against Italy and was still awaiting his first Nations League start. Van Bommel, who had visited the forward in Istanbul and spoken with him by video call, insisted the attention around the issue was being amplified externally.
The fixture carried a notably even history. Belgium and Turkey had met 11 times before this night, with three wins each and five draws, although Belgium had won only one of their previous seven meetings. Their last two encounters, in qualifying for Euro 2012, produced a 3-2 Turkish victory and a 1-1 draw.
With De Bruyne’s finish separating the sides after 17 minutes, Belgium had found the early breakthrough in Liège. Turkey’s challenge was to turn Güler’s flashes of quality into sustained pressure before their difficult Nations League start deepened further.
