Having lost all four Nations League matches, Turkiye will look to restore some pride at home against a Belgium side with plenty to play for.

Belgium will look to strengthen their chances of securing a place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations League with a win over Turkiye in the penultimate League A Group 1 fixture on Thursday evening.

The home team are rock-bottom of the group, having lost all four of their games. Despite being considered dark horses by many for the World Cup, Turkiye underperformed, and they haven’t really recovered from that.

While they did win their last World Cup group stage game against the USA, they have lost to France, Belgium and Italy (both home & away) in the Nations League. They have been outplayed in all departments and have nothing at stake heading into this fixture.

However, Turkiye will be eager to get back to winning ways and restore some lost pride. Meanwhile, Belgium are 3rd in the group with six points in their four outings. While they started their campaign with a 2-0 win over Italy, they have lost both home and away to France.

The Red Devils’ 2nd win of the Nations League campaign came against Turkiye (3-0). While they did concede quite a few chances, Belgium still came out with a clean sheet. They will be hoping for a similar result, as they look to strengthen their chances of making it to the knockouts. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics

Turkiye

Kenan Yildiz won’t be available for selection as he remains on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Kerem Akturkoglu, Irfan Kahveci, Samet Akaydin and Altay Bayindir have all been left out after being called up last time out.

Abdulkerim Bardakci is suspended for this fixture, while multiple players are at risk of suspension if they pick up a card here.

Turkiye are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Ugurcan Cakir starting between the posts. Zeki Celik and Ferdi Kadioglu should occupy the full-back positions, while Ozan Kabak and Merih Demiral are likely to form the central defensive partnership.

Salih Ozcan and Hakan Calhanoglu are expected to operate as the two holding midfielders, providing protection to the defence and helping dictate the tempo.

Oguz Aydin and Baris Alper Yilmaz should feature on the flanks, with Arda Guler taking up the attacking midfield role behind Deniz Gul, who is likely to lead the line.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Cakir; Celik, Kabak, Demiral, Kadioglu; Ozcan, Calhanoglu; Aydin, Guler, Yilmaz; Gul

Belgium

Thibaut Courtois remains on a break from international football, while Koni De ‌Winter has refused to be called up for this break. Meanwhile, Josue Kongolo has earned his first senior call-up.

Romeo Lavia is suspended for this fixture while several top stars are at risk of suspension.

Belgium are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Senne Lammens starting in goal. Timothy Castagne and Maxim De Cuyper should feature as the full-backs, with Nathan Ngoy and Brandon Mechele forming the central defensive partnership.

Nicolas Raskin is likely to partner Youri Tielemans in central midfield, with the pair tasked with controlling possession and providing a link between defence and attack.

Dodi Lukebakio and Jeremy Doku are expected to operate on the wings, using their pace and direct running to create opportunities.

Kevin De Bruyne should take up the attacking midfield role, looking to provide creativity and supply the forwards. Charles De Ketelaere is expected to lead the line, offering Belgium a focal point in attack.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Castagne, Ngoy, Mechele, De Cuyper; Raskin, Tielemans; Lukebakio, De Bruyne, Doku; De Ketelaere

Key Stats

• Turkiye have lost each of their four Nations League outings.
• The home team had a disaster of a World Cup as they got knocked out of the group stage, and things haven’t improved for them since then (6 defeats in their last 7 games).
• The two teams have faced each other on four occasions, with Turkiye coming out on top twice.
• In the reverse fixture between the two teams at the start of October, the Red Devils secured a comfortable 3-0 win.
• Turkiye have scored just five goals in their last seven outings, while conceding 16 goals.

Player to Watch

Jeremy Doku

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A calf injury kept him on the sidelines in the initial phase of the season, and since his return, the Manchester City star forward hasn’t really been able to hit top gear. He only has one goal and an assist in his 10 outings across competitions.

The 24-year-old will treat this international break as an opportunity to get back to his best, and the game against Turkiye could be the one where he finally delivers. His pace and ability to take on defenders will certainly cause problems for the home team.

Prediction

Turkiye 1-2 Belgium

Turkiye have struggled badly in this Nations League campaign, losing all four of their matches and conceding far too many goals. While playing at home could give them some motivation to put up a better fight, their defensive vulnerabilities remain a concern.

Belgium have also been inconsistent, but they have more quality and attacking options to trouble the hosts. With Jeremy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne capable of creating problems in the final third, the visitors should have enough to claim all three points. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the away team.