Van Bommel: We Were in Control of the Game Until the 65th Minute

Belgium defeated Türkiye 2-1 in their fifth match in Group 4 of the UEFA Nations League. Speaking after the game, Belgium head coach Mark van Bommel explained that they pressed high so that the crowd could not put pressure on them.

Van Bommel said that, especially in the second half, his team was in control of the game until the 65th minute. He said they needed four to five weeks to prepare better, but did not have that opportunity. He noted that Türkiye pressed very quickly at the start, so the opponent deserved credit. He also admitted that his team lost the ball too often.

The head coach said Leandro played intelligently throughout the match, operated between the lines and was able to move out to the wings. He described Doku as an intelligent, fast player who knows how to keep the ball. Van Bommel said the team recovered after conceding a goal and stressed that the pitch was very poor, making it difficult to stay focused on this surface.

Van Bommel recalled that Kevin De Bruyne was injured during the match and said the player may have been unhappy on the pitch because he was not satisfied with his own performance.