Belgium will aim to return to winning ways in the UEFA Nations League when they welcome Turkey to Belgium on Friday evening.
The Red Devils currently sit second in League A Group 1 with three points, three behind leaders France. Mark van Bommel’s side began their campaign with an impressive 2-0 victory over Italy before suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to France.
Despite that setback, Belgium have made a respectable start considering the quality of opposition they have faced. They will now be looking to collect another three points before facing France again on October 5.
Belgium have featured in League A throughout the Nations League era, with their best performance coming in the 2020-21 edition when they finished fourth. Their record against Turkey is closely contested, with Belgium winning three, drawing five and losing three of their 11 previous meetings.
However, the Red Devils have won just once in their last seven encounters with the Crescent-Stars. The most recent meetings came during Euro 2012 qualifying, when Turkey won 3-2 at home before the return fixture finished 1-1.
Turkey desperately need a positive result after a difficult start to the competition. Vincenzo Montella’s team lost 1-0 to France before suffering a heavy 4-1 defeat against Italy.
Those results leave the Crescent-Stars bottom of Group 1 without a point. Having earned promotion from League C in 2022-23 and League B in 2024-25, Turkey are now facing a significant challenge to preserve their place among Europe’s top Nations League sides.
Team News
Belgium will be without Diego Moreira, who is suspended after picking up a booking against France.
Dodi Lukebakio is expected to benefit from Moreira’s absence and could feature in an attacking role alongside Kevin De Bruyne, who should retain his place as one of Belgium’s principal creative outlets.
Romeo Lavia is a doubt after being forced off late in the defeat to France. The Chelsea midfielder will undergo a late fitness assessment before the final decision is made. Goalkeeper Mike Penders is another player facing a late fitness test.
Belgium remain without two notable names in Thibaut Courtois and Jeremy Doku, who were not included in the squad for this international period.
Turkey have received a boost with goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir available again following his suspension. His return could provide additional experience between the posts.
Montella is also expected to make changes following the disappointing 4-1 defeat to Italy. Abdulkerim Bardakci and Ferdi Kadioglu are both candidates to return to the starting XI.
Real Madrid’s Arda Guler will once again be one of Turkey’s key attacking outlets. The youngster is expected to play an important creative role, while Baris Yilmaz should continue through the middle of the attack.
With Turkey desperately needing points, Montella will hope Guler can produce the individual quality required to trouble Belgium’s defence.
Possible Lineups
Belgium possible starting lineup:
Lammens; Castagne, Ngoy, Mechele, Seys; Tielemans, Lavia; Lukebakio, De Bruyne, Godts; De Ketelaere
Turkey possible starting lineup:
Cakir; Celik, Bardakci, Kabak; Aydin, Ozcan, Kokcu, Kadioglu; Guler, Yilmaz, Uzun
How to Watch
| Platform | Details |
|---|---|
| TV Broadcast | SuperSport |
| Live Stream | dstv stream |
| Kick-off Time | 19:45pm(WAT) |
Match Prediction:
Softfootball predicts Belgium 2-1 Turkey. Turkey have plenty to fight for after losing their opening two games, and their strong historical record against Belgium could give Montella’s side confidence.
However, Belgium have already demonstrated their quality by beating Italy and were competitive against France. Playing at home should further strengthen Van Bommel’s side, particularly with De Bruyne leading their attacking play. Turkey could make the contest difficult, but Belgium should have enough quality to claim all three points.
