De Bruyne and Lukaku Crush Turkey; Montella Facing Dismissal

Vincenzo Montella is on the brink of disaster: his Turkish team has suffered its third loss in three games, following defeats against France and Italy with a decisive 3-0 loss in Belgium. The Istanbul team sits dismally last in the group with zero points, and the fate of its head coach—already under fire after the match against the Azzurri—now seems sealed.

It wasn’t even a contest; the Red Devils dominated the field, led by their star Kevin De Bruyne—a player quite different from the one seen with Allegri’s Napoli: the former Manchester City player put his team ahead in the 10th minute of the first half with a great right-footed shot, and did it again in the second half in the 59th minute with a splendid curling shot into the top corner.

In the closing minutes, Lukaku made it 3-0 with a tap-in in the 76th minute that sealed the victory. In the stands, the visiting Turkish fans directed harsh chants at Montella, demanding he resign following yet another disappointing performance. The Federation’s decision is expected in the coming days.

Here’s what Montella had to say after the match: “I can’t fault our players—they fought until the very end. When you can’t make that decisive pass, when you can’t score, and when the opponent does those things, the result doesn’t go the way you’d like. Playing in League A is a privilege, not a punishment. The national team is gaining experience. We’ve seen the level of play. We’re fighting. Unfortunately, this is the level of League A.”