Türkiye
Türkiye lose 2-1 to Belgium in Sergen Yalçın’s first match as coach despite an Arda Güler free kick
- What happened
- Türkiye lost 2-1 to Belgium in İzmir in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday, in the first match under the new head coach Sergen Yalçın.
- Why it matters
- It was the team’s fifth defeat in five group games; BBC Türkçe says Türkiye has not lost five matches in a row for 45 years.
- What’s next
- Türkiye finish their group away to France on 15 November, without the suspended Ozan Kabak.
How this story developed
- 18:51First report
- 21:532nd source
- 21:53Confirmed
- 22:033rd source
- 23:144th source
- 01:325th source
- 18:51First reportCumhuriyet
- 21:532nd sourceDiken
- 21:53ConfirmedWas: Single source
- 22:033rd sourceHabertürk
- 23:144th sourceHürriyet
- 01:32Latest5th sourceBBC Türkçe
Full story
The match
Türkiye took the lead in the 20th minute at the Gürsel Aksel Stadium in İzmir, when Arda Güler struck a left-footed free kick from about 30 metres over the wall and into the top corner, Habertürk reported. Belgium answered quickly: Kevin De Bruyne equalised in the 27th minute after a cross from Jeremy Doku, and Charles De Ketelaere put the visitors ahead three minutes later.
Türkiye had chances to draw level. Cumhuriyet’s match report says the Belgian goalkeeper Lammens saved a hard shot from Deniz Gül in the 82nd minute and blocked Hakan Çalhanoğlu’s close-range effort with his foot in stoppage time. Güler went down in the penalty area in the 79th minute and appealed for a penalty, but the referee waved play on.
A losing run
The result leaves Türkiye without a point after five matches in Group 1 of League A, while Belgium moved up to nine points. Habertürk listed the earlier defeats: 1-0 to France in Kocaeli, 4-1 to Italy in Bursa, 3-0 away to Belgium and 3-1 to Italy in Bologna. According to BBC Türkçe, it is the first time in 45 years that the national team has lost five matches in a row.
Yalçın took over from Vincenzo Montella. For his first match he started Oğuz Aydın at right back because Zeki Çelik was not fully fit, and picked the Getafe striker Enes Ünal, who played for the national team for the first time in 726 days.
What the coach said
After the game Yalçın said his team had been in control early on and scored, but handed the game to Belgium between the 30th and 45th minutes, Hürriyet reported. He pointed to players just back from injury who were not fully fit, and to having had only two days of training before the match.
“We will get to very good places. It needs a little time; we will fix it.”
Sergen Yalçın, Hürriyet(translated)
He admitted that conceding easy goals had been a problem for some time and said defending was not only the job of the defenders. Güler, he said, had scored a perfect goal and played a game worthy of his quality.
Türkiye play their last group match away to France on 15 November. Defender Ozan Kabak will miss it, after a yellow card in the 32nd minute left him suspended.