Belgium defeated Türkiye 2:1 in İzmir and inflicted a fifth consecutive defeat on the hosts in Group A1 of the Nations League. The match was the debut of Sergen Yalçın as head coach of the Türkiye national team.
Arda Güler put Türkiye ahead in the 20th minute with a precise free-kick. Belgium, however, turned the game around within three minutes. In the 27th minute, Jérémy Doku broke down the left flank and found Kevin De Bruyne, who equalised with a shot from inside the penalty area. In the 30th minute, Charles De Ketelaere completed the comeback after Uğurcan Çakır had saved a shot from Diego Moreira. The assist came from Maxim De Cuyper.
Türkiye turned up the pressure after the break
The hosts sought an equaliser in the second half but came up against the impressive Senne Lammens. The Belgian goalkeeper saved efforts from Güler, Barış Alper Yılmaz, Deniz Gül and Hakan Çalhanoğlu. Türkiye came closest to scoring a second goal in added time, when Lammens kept out a close-range shot from Çalhanoğlu.
Belgium also had chances to settle the match with a third goal. Uğurcan Çakır intervened to deny an effort from De Bruyne and another from De Ketelaere, while Türkiye finished the match with more possession but failed to turn their pressure into an equaliser.
Yalçın: We lost on the details
After the match, Sergen Yalçın said his team had shown desire and organisation but had made mistakes at key moments. “Today, we got a little lost in the details,” said the Türkiye coach, quoted by Turkish media outlet GZT.
Yalçın described Güler as one of Türkiye’s best players and stressed that his teammates needed to help him more when building attacks. “He is taking on the responsibility he needs to take on. There will be a great weight on his shoulders because he is the best player in the team,” the coach said.
Kevin De Bruyne also highlighted Belgium’s reaction after conceding the goal. UEFA’s video of his post-match interview presents his assessment that the Belgians reacted well and deserved the victory after completing the comeback. UEFA described Türkiye’s start as energetic but noted that the hosts lost control within ten minutes.
Media outlets identified the decisive period
In its analysis, FutbolRadar identified the minutes between the 27th and 30th as the turning point in the match. According to the outlet, Türkiye did not lose the game solely because of the equaliser, but because they conceded a second goal almost immediately afterwards.
Anadolu Agency also focused on the quick turnaround and the fact that the defeat came in Yalçın’s first match. Turkish media outlet GZT focused on Güler’s performance and the need to give the new coach time to work.
Türkiye remain bottom of the group without a point and with a goal difference of 3:13. Belgium moved to nine points and kept their chances of reaching the quarter-finals alive. In the final round on 15 November, Türkiye will travel to France, while Belgium will host Italy.
Sources: aa.com.tr, gzt.com, futbolradar.com