De Bruyne double leaves Turkey pointless after Belgium rout

Turkey’s Nations League difficulties deepened with a 3-0 defeat to Belgium at the Maurice Dufrasne Stadium, leaving Vincenzo Montella’s team without a point after three Group A matches.

Key takeaways

• Kevin De Bruyne scored twice, striking in the 10th and 60th minutes for Belgium.
• Romelu Lukaku added a late headed third goal.
• Turkey began with Arda Guler and Baris Alper Yilmaz in attack but could not find a way past Belgium’s defence.
• Montella said the contest was competitive for long spells, while acknowledging that errors are severely punished at this level.
• Belgium remain in contention near the top of the group with France, while Turkey face a growing threat of relegation.

De Bruyne punishes Turkey’s defensive openings

Belgium took control early when De Bruyne opened the scoring after 10 minutes. Turkey had periods of encouraging attacking play in an open contest, but their forwards were unable to turn those moves into a goal against a well-organised Belgian back line.

Montella had selected Guler and Yilmaz in an attempt to give his side greater threat, yet Belgium’s defensive structure held firm. The home side then exploited the spaces Turkey allowed, with De Bruyne producing a powerful second strike on the hour mark.

Lukaku completed the result late on, heading home to underline Turkey’s problems in defending their own area. The goal also exposed a physical weakness that the visitors will need to resolve quickly during the remainder of the campaign.

Montella calls for a response

Montella did not direct the blame solely at his players after the final whistle. The Italy-born coach felt the match had remained finely balanced for significant periods, but stressed that the strongest international sides convert even small defensive mistakes into decisive moments.

“It was a balanced game,” Montella said, adding that there is no room for errors at this standard and that such results can occur. He maintained that his squad should not carry all the responsibility for the defeat.

Turkey are bottom of their Nations League Group A after a third consecutive loss and still await their first point. Montella and his staff must now restore confidence while finding solutions to the side’s defensive shortcomings before the remaining fixtures, starting with their next international match.

Belgium, meanwhile, continue their pursuit of the leading places in the group alongside France.