Liam Duckstein
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Belgium host Turkiye in the UEFA Nations League on Friday 2 October 2026, and both predicted lineups point to sides that have barely changed shape over their last two outings. Mark van Bommel and Vincenzo Montella have each leaned on the same core group recently, which makes this a useful moment to look at who is actually turning up rather than who might be picked on reputation alone. The projected line-ups below are built from that recent pattern, not from any official team sheet.
Belgium Predicted XI
Belgium’s expected XI is projected in a 4-2-3-1, the shape Mark van Bommel prefers as head coach. This looks like a settled side – 11 of the projected XI started their last match, leaving little guesswork in defence and attack. Joaquin Seys and Romeo Lavia are the two names to watch in this projected line-up, each with only one start across the sampled matches compared with the ever-present pattern shown by the rest of the group, so their inclusion is less certain than the others around them.
Belgium predicted XI: Senne Lammens; Brandon Mechele, Nathan Ngoy, Timothy Castagne, Joaquin Seys; Kevin De Bruyne, Youri Tielemans, Mika Godts, Diego Moreira, Romeo Lavia; Charles De Ketelaere
| Line | # | Player | Starts in last 2 | Last 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 1 | Senne Lammens | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| D | 4 | Brandon Mechele | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| D | 15 | Nathan Ngoy | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| D | 21 | Timothy Castagne | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| D | 18 | Joaquin Seys | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| M | 7 | Kevin De Bruyne | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| M | 8 | Youri Tielemans | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| M | 10 | Mika Godts | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| M | 19 | Diego Moreira | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| M | 6 | Romeo Lavia | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| F | 17 | Charles De Ketelaere | 2/2 | 2/2 |
Turkiye Predicted Lineup
Vincenzo Montella’s side is also projected into a 4-2-3-1, matching his own preferred setup. Turkiye’s predicted lineup is largely settled, with 9 of the projected XI starting their last match, though the picture is slightly less clear-cut than Belgium’s. Abdulkerim Bardakçı and Ismail Yüksek stand out here: both are pencilled into this expected XI on the strength of one start apiece, yet neither actually started the most recent fixture, which leaves a little more uncertainty around their inclusion than the rest of the side suggests.
Turkiye predicted XI: Altay Bayındır; Zeki Çelik, Merih Demiral, Ozan Kabak, Abdulkerim Bardakçı; Salih Özcan, Oğuz Aydın, Eren Elmalı, Orkun Kökçü, Ismail Yüksek; Arda Güler
| Line | # | Player | Starts in last 2 | Last 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 1 | Altay Bayındır | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| D | 2 | Zeki Çelik | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| D | 3 | Merih Demiral | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| D | 15 | Ozan Kabak | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| D | 14 | Abdulkerim Bardakçı | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| M | 5 | Salih Özcan | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| M | 18 | Oğuz Aydın | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| M | 13 | Eren Elmalı | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| M | 6 | Orkun Kökçü | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| M | 16 | Ismail Yüksek | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| F | 10 | Arda Güler | 2/2 | 2/2 |
Team News and Confirmed Absentees
Leandro Trossard and Mike Penders are out injured, which thins Belgium’s options up front and between the posts respectively. Among the bench options, Maxim De Cuyper and Nicolas Raskin each carry a start from the sampled matches, making them the most experienced replacements currently available to Mark van Bommel if changes are needed.
| Player | Pos | Status | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amadou Onana | M | injured | Cruciate Ligament Rupture |
| Leandro Trossard | F | injured | Heel injury |
| Mike Penders | G | injured | Hamstring Injury |
For Turkiye, no absentees are recorded in the data, so Vincenzo Montella heads into this one without any injury or suspension concerns to work around. On the bench, Can Yilmaz Uzun and Baris Alper Yilmaz both arrive with two starts apiece from the sampled matches, giving the coaching staff proven depth if changes are required.
Where These Predictions Come From
Each projected lineup here is built from the last two available line-ups for that side, with the more recent of the two weighted more heavily than the earlier one. Any player confirmed injured or suspended has been removed from selection before the XI was built. Because only two matches were available for both Belgium and Turkiye, this remains a tentative projection rather than a settled read, and it can shift once the official team news is confirmed closer to kick-off.
Read also: Belgium vs Turkey Prediction: 02.10.2026 UEFA Nations League Preview
Read also: Belgium vs Turkiye Head-to-Head: Record, Stats and Form as of 30 Sep 2026
FAQ
Who is predicted to start in goal for Belgium vs Turkiye?
Senne Lammens is projected to start in goal for Belgium, while Altay Bayındır is the expected choice for Turkiye.
What formation will Belgium and Turkiye play?
Both sides are projected to line up in a 4-2-3-1, matching the preferred formations of Mark van Bommel and Vincenzo Montella.
Who is unavailable for Belgium vs Turkiye?
Belgium are without Leandro Trossard and Mike Penders through injury, while no absentees are recorded for Turkiye in the data.
When do Belgium and Turkiye kick off?
The UEFA Nations League fixture kicks off on Friday 2 October 2026.