De Bruyne Double Powers Belgium Past Turkiye in Nations League

Kevin De Bruyne delivered a masterclass in finishing as Belgium swept aside Turkiye 3-0 at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne on Friday, moving to the summit of UEFA Nations League A Group 1. The captain scored twice, Romelu Lukaku added a late third, and the Red Devils made a mockery of an expected-goals tally that suggested a far tighter contest.

Belgium set up in a 4-3-3 shape, with De Bruyne given licence to roam from midfield, while Turkiye deployed a 4-4-2 that sought to press high and exploit the flanks. The home side needed only 10 minutes to make their mark. Dodi Lukébakio, starting on the right wing, cut inside and threaded a pass to De Bruyne, who swept a right-footed shot into the bottom corner from just inside the area. The chance was worth a modest 0.13 xG, but De Bruyne’s precision turned a half-chance into a goal.

Turkiye responded with energy. Arda Güler, operating as a free-roaming playmaker behind the two strikers, began to find space between the lines. The visitors matched Belgium’s 10 first-half shots and forced goalkeeper Koen Casteels into three saves. Güler himself came closest, curling an effort narrowly wide from 20 yards. Yet for all their endeavour, Turkiye’s open-play xG stood at just 0.28, with a further 0.29 coming from set-pieces. Belgium, by contrast, generated all of their 0.86 first-half xG from open play, underlining their sharper attacking moves.

The pattern flipped after the interval. Turkiye seized control of possession, holding 51% of the ball, and poured forward. They registered 13 second-half shots to Belgium’s 7, and racked up 20 touches inside the Belgian box. Güler was at the heart of everything, accumulating 0.54 xG over the 90 minutes—the highest individual figure on the pitch—but could not find the net. His movement and delivery from dead balls caused constant problems, yet Belgium’s backline, marshalled by Wout Faes and Zeno Debast, held firm.

Belgium absorbed the pressure and struck on the counter. On the hour, Youri Tielemans intercepted a loose pass in midfield and immediately released De Bruyne. The captain drove into the box and placed a low shot past the goalkeeper for his second of the night. The goal, unassigned an xG value in the data feed, epitomised Belgium’s clinical edge in transition.

Turkiye’s frustration mounted. They created two big chances across the match—both squandered—while Belgium converted the only big chance they fashioned. A close-range header from a corner forced Casteels into a superb save, but the visitors could not translate their 23 shots and 40 touches in the box into a goal. Belgium’s defensive discipline limited Turkiye to an open-play xG of 0.64 in the second period, while the home side managed just 0.30 from open play but added 0.42 from set-pieces. The overall xG tally read 1.58 to 1.38 in Belgium’s favour, a margin that scarcely reflected the 3-0 scoreline.

The contest was put beyond doubt in the 76th minute. Substitute Charles De Ketelaere delivered an inswinging corner that found Romelu Lukaku unmarked at the back post. The striker’s right-footed volley carried an xG of 0.40, the highest-value chance of the match, and he buried it emphatically. It was Lukaku’s first goal of the Nations League campaign and a reward for Belgium’s efficiency from dead-ball situations.

The closing stages saw both sides collect four yellow cards apiece as the match grew tetchy. Belgium finished with 10 shots on target from 17 attempts, while Turkiye managed 8 on target from 23. The hosts completed 462 passes at 89% accuracy, compared to 377 at 85% for the visitors, but Turkiye’s 232 passes in the opposition half highlighted their willingness to play in advanced areas. The duel count told a similar story: Turkiye won 63 duels to Belgium’s 42, yet the home side’s composure in both boxes proved decisive.

The individual duel between De Bruyne and Güler encapsulated the evening. De Bruyne’s 0.32 xG yielded two goals; Güler’s 0.54 xG yielded none. Where the Belgian was ruthless, the Turkish youngster was profligate, and that difference decided the match.

The result lifts Belgium to the top of Group 1, while Turkiye remain winless after three matches. For the home side, the performance was a showcase of clinical counter-attacking and set-piece execution, with De Bruyne once again the orchestrator-in-chief.

FotMob.