The National Football Team lost 2-1 to Belgium, which it hosted in Izmir last night, in the fifth match of the UEFA Nations A League, Group 1, after taking a 1-0 lead.
Türkiye, which lost its 5th match in the group, remained in the last place without any points. Belgium, which got its third victory, increased its points to 9.
The crescent-star team will play their last match in the group away against France on November 15.
ARDA'S GREAT FREE KICK GOAL WAS NOT ENOUGH
The National Team gained a 1-0 lead against Belgium with the goal scored by Arda Güler in the 20th minute.
Arda took charge of the free kick, which was won from the area overlooking the Belgian goal from about 30 meters away. The star player made a great free kick and sent the ball into the corner and into the net.
However, the joy of the goal was short-lived and the Crescent-Stars lost 2-1 with the goals scored by De Bruyne in the 27th minute and De Ketelaere in the 30th minute.
2-1 DEFEAT IN BELGIUM PRESS
While the Belgian press chose Jeremy Doku as the architect of the victory against Türkiye, Arda Güler, who scored the only goal of the National Team, was also mentioned with praise. Here are the reflections of the Türkiye - Belgium match in the Belgian press...
VRT: "BELGIUM CRAZY REVERSED THE SITUATION IN 4 MINUTES"
"Belgium, under the management of Mark van Bommel, aimed to catch its opponent by the throat at the beginning of the match, as in the Italy match, but the Turks were better in the first part. Van Bommel's soldiers were able to take control of the game only after 15 minutes. The 'Red Devils', who were first surprised and then got up again in the match where they fell behind with the magnificent free kick of the 'golden boy' Arda Güler, turned the difficult situation around in four crazy minutes with the goals of de Bruyne and de Ketealere and won from Türkiye." He managed to leave."
RTBF: "HAPPINESS COMES IN PAIN"
"Turkey made a quick start to the match in Izmir. Their pressure put a strain on our timid team. With 65 percent of the ball in the first 10 minutes of the match, the Turks controlled the game, even though they could not produce a concrete result. In the minutes when the game was balanced, the Turks won a free kick from a seemingly safe spot from about 30 meters. Arda Güler took charge of the ball and sent the ball into the net with a magnificent shot. Van Bommel's students did not panic and first "He equalized with De Bruyne and then took the lead with De Ketelaere. The last minutes of the match were very difficult, but the Red Devils managed to leave the field. Now our eyes are on the match we will play against Italy on Sunday."
LE SOIR: "3 GOLDEN MINUTES ON THE WAY TOWARDS THE QUARTER-FINALS"
"Although Belgium felt like they were getting lost in the suffocating enthusiasm of the Turkish audience at the beginning of the first half and in the last quarter of the match, they managed to hold on tightly to the 3 points needed to survive, just like a childhood treasure, by hiding them deep in their pockets so that others would not see them.
The Red Devils almost magically finished the match after falling behind in the 20th minute, winning 2-1 with two goals in three minutes.
"The Devils", who won in Izmir, took a big step towards advancing to the quarter-finals of the Nations League."
LA LIBRE: "RED DEVILS ARE ESCAPED FROM THE TURKISH TRAP!"
"Belgium fell behind 1-0 with Arda Güler's wonderful goal in the 20th minute against Turkey, which was in front of its own home crowd and had not yet scored a point. However, this superiority of the home team was short-lived because Belgium reversed the situation within 3 minutes. First, De Bruyne equalized the score in the 27th minute, then De Ketelaere put the Red Devils ahead 2-1 in the 30th minute. With this victory, Belgium increased to 9 points and put their hopes of 2nd place in the last match. "It is certain that Türkiye, with 0 points, will finish the group in last place."
DH LES SPORTS+: "BELGIUM WAS SAVED BY DOKU'S GENIUS"
"The beginning of the match was very difficult for Belgium, and Arda Güler was the main responsible for this. He put the Belgian defense in difficult situations, either by dribbling the ball or by passing the ball behind the defensive line. The goal he scored from the free kick in the 20th minute was an indication that he was becoming a world-class player and his tremendous talent. Belgium, under pressure, experienced great difficulties. In the first 25 minutes, their possession of the ball for more than five seconds could be counted on the fingers of one hand. Every time they won the ball, they could make a few passes and get rid of the Turkish pressure. Even though he had not touched the ball much until that moment, De Bruyne managed to score a goal at the first dangerous opportunity he had, both stunning the Turks and changing the course of the match. De Ketelaere's goal left the stands silent. The common point of both goals was Jeremy Doku. He was the one who prepared the position for De Bruyne in the first goal, and it was not an easy victory and he was the one who created space for his teammates. "It should not be forgotten that we won against the team, a tougher opponent awaits Belgium on Sunday."
HET LAATSTE NIEUWS: "TEXTURE REVERSED THE TRUE"
"Although Arda Güler's extraordinary free kick created a cold shower effect for Belgium in Izmir, Jeremy Doku's magnificent performance breathed new life into the match and turned the tide.
About seven minutes after they conceded, Kevin De Bruyne equalized the score. And before the Turks could fully comprehend what was happening, De Ketelaere sent the ball into the net and made the score 2-1. Three minutes and 44 seconds. That's exactly how much time passed between 1-1 and 1-2. The Red Devils won the match with two goals in less than four minutes. That's called fixing the situation."
