Belgium vs Turkey Prediction 2 October 2026
📢 Can Turkey finally give their fans something to cheer about in this season's Nations League? So far the team have been far from impressive: two defeats in their opening two matches have left them bottom of Group 1 and the leading candidates for relegation from League A. The third round will be no easier - this time they travel away to the Stade Maurice Dufrasne. That said, the situation is not entirely hopeless for the visitors. Belgium do not look as formidable as Italy or France, the two sides Turkey have already faced.
🔁 This prediction is updated on match day. Keep an eye on the Current News section.
Head-to-Head
📊 Belgium and Turkey have not faced each other in the last 15 years.
Belgium have experienced contrasting results in their opening two matches.
Belgium, who have reached the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, have been producing decent results in the Nations League as well. After two matchdays they have three points and sit in second place in the group, having already faced the two strongest sides in the section - Italy and France - in the opening round.
In the first matchday Belgium pulled off a surprise away win against Italy (2-0), but in the second they were unable to take anything at home against France (0-1). The second match was also not particularly convincing in terms of performance. Belgium had just 35% possession and were outshot 12-18. For a home fixture, they could have been noticeably more energetic and adventurous in attack. That said, they did hold the score at 0-0 for a long time and came close to a draw, but could not hold on in the closing stages: France scored the only goal on 88 minutes.
Match Results: Belgium
Home fixtures have turned into a major disappointment for Turkey.
Turkey, who had a thoroughly disappointing World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign, have been unable to find their feet in the Nations League either. They opened the tournament with two home matches where they clearly expected to pick up points, but came away with nothing. They lost narrowly to France (0-1), then suffered a heavy defeat against Italy (1-4). With zero points from two games, they find themselves bottom of the group, which is hard to argue with.
The result against Italy was particularly surprising given that the visitors were far from their strongest side and made significant changes to their line-up. The odds before kick-off were almost level, but Turkey made nothing of that. By the 27th minute the hosts were 0-3 down and had effectively put themselves in an impossible position. After the break Turkey came out with much more intensity, raised the tempo and pushed Italy back. They pulled one back on 47 minutes, but the hope lasted barely any time at all - three minutes later Italy scored a fourth and finished the job.
Match Results: Turkey
Latest news
Belgium
❌ For Belgium, Diego Moreira will miss the match through suspension after picking up another yellow card against France. Romeo Lavia was substituted during that game, but the latest information suggests it was cramp rather than a new injury, so the midfielder remains available, though his condition will still be assessed.
Turkey
❌ Turkey's Orkun Kökçü has left the squad due to worsening pain in his toe and will definitely miss both the match against Belgium and the following game against Italy. Meanwhile, Uğurcan Çakır is available again, having served his suspension following the red card against France, and could return to the starting line-up.
Predicted Lineups
📋 Predicted starting XI for Belgium: Lammens - Castagne, Ngoy, Mechele, Seys - Tielemans, Lavia - Lukebakio, De Bruyne, Godts - De Ketelaere.
📋 Predicted starting XI for Turkey: Cakir - Celik, Bardakci, Kabak - Aydin, Ozcan, Kokcu, Kadioglu - Guler, Yilmaz, Uzun.
⚽️ Goals Prediction
After conceding four goals against a half-strength Italy side, Turkey will almost certainly pay far more attention to defensive solidity here. Belgium in general don't tend towards high-scoring football either: Total Goals - Under 3.5 has landed in five consecutive home matches for the team. The odds are 1.71*.
🚩 Corners Prediction
At home, Belgium will surely look to be noticeably more active, especially with their opponents currently far from their best. After a fairly uninspiring match against France, the hosts also need to improve in attack. More attacking play typically means more corners. We're backing Belgium to win the corners at 1.45*.
🟨 Yellow Cards Prediction
After two rounds, Belgium have accumulated as many as 8 bookings: 5 in the match against Italy and another 3 against France. Those are fairly high numbers, and there's no reason to expect a sharp drop. Belgium play with a degree of aggression, frequently getting into physical duels and not shying away from fouling to break up opposition attacks. It's worth considering Belgium Team Total Yellow Cards - Over 1.5 at 1.80*.
🚀 Player Stat Bet
With Moreira suspended, Dodi Lukebakio looks likely to come into Belgium's starting XI. He came off the bench in both of the first two rounds but looked lively and added sharpness in attack. He was particularly impressive against Italy, where the 29-year-old managed to get on the scoresheet. If he now gets more playing time, he'll have noticeably more opportunity to make an impact. It's worth a go on Dodi Lukebakio to Score at 2.80*.
😱 Risky Bet
After being thrashed by Italy, Turkey may draw the most obvious conclusions and sit so deep that nothing gets through to their penalty area. In that case, the match could turn out to be a very low-event affair. So there's a case for taking a risk on Total Goals - Under 2 at 4.80*.
🎯 Safe Bet
If you're looking for a more reliable option, Total Goals - Under 4.5 is available at 1.28*. This bet has landed in 14 consecutive matches involving the Belgium national team in the Nations League, and the statistics from their last 10 home matches also point to fairly moderate scoring that has stayed within that mark.
👀 If the Match Doesn't Go to Script
Although Turkey are in terrible form, writing them off entirely would be premature. On paper their squad is still reasonably strong, and in any given match they are capable of making life difficult even for a more consistent opponent. They'll also be keen to avoid finishing the first half of the group stage with three straight defeats. The alternative bet is Turkey not to lose at 2.75*.
*Odds are indicative and may vary across different bookmakers.
⭐ Editor's Prediction
Our editorial team isn't expecting any surprises in this one. Turkey look too disjointed to perform with confidence away against Belgium. The absence of Hakan Çalhanoğlu is particularly telling - without him, the Turks find it noticeably harder to control the ball, build attacks and connect the lines. Belgium, for their part, won't want to pass up a good chance to take three points and strengthen their position in the play-off race, especially after their defeat to France makes it important for them to get back to winning ways quickly. Our main bet is therefore a Belgium win. We expect the scoreboard to read 2-0.
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Betting Tips: Belgium - Turkey
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