Kevin De Bruyne scored two goals of the highest quality as Belgium cruised to a 3-0 Nations League victory over Turkiye at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne, with substitute Romelu Lukaku also on the scoresheet as Mark van Bommel secured his first home win as Belgium head coach.

It was the ideal response from Belgium, who came into the game on the back of a narrow 1-0 defeat to France on September 29, and it was engineered largely by their most experienced stars in a side being reshaped under Van Bommel.

De Bruyne breaks the deadlock inside 10 minutes

The Napoli midfielder needed just 10 minutes to break the deadlock, playing a give-and-go with Dodi Lukebakio before poking the ball through the legs of Abdulkerim Bardakci and finding the bottom-right corner.

Turkiye made to pay for profligacy

Both sides had their chances before half-time. Lukebakio saw a powerful strike pushed onto the woodwork by Ugurcan Cakir, while Merih Demiral inexplicably fired over from inside the six-yard box from Zeki Celik's low cross.

The pattern continued early in the second half, with Lukebakio striking the frame of the goal again before goalkeeper Senne Lammens got down quickly to keep out Yunus Akgun — an intervention that was swiftly repaid at the other end.

A second stunner

After Youri Tielemans regained possession just outside the box, he teed up De Bruyne, who wonderfully curled into the top-left corner from distance to give Belgium some much-needed breathing room.

The finish underlined the difference in quality: Belgium's overall expected goals (xG) tally of 1.24 was actually lower than Turkiye's 1.33, but De Bruyne's two goals were worth just 0.17 xG, a measure of how ruthlessly the midfielder took his chances to give the hosts a 2-0 lead.

Lukaku seals the win

Lukaku wrapped up the victory in the 76th minute, converting Charles De Ketelaere's low centre with ease, and Belgium held on for a clean sheet despite late pressure from Turkiye.

Veterans thriving in Van Bommel's new era

Van Bommel's introduction as head coach has marked a new era for Belgium, and while the likes of Mika Godts and Lukebakio are proving their worth under the new boss, it was the familiar faces of De Bruyne and Lukaku who made the crucial difference.

De Bruyne created three chances — a tally bettered only by Godts' four for Belgium — and won five of his 10 duels before being replaced in the 82nd minute.

The performance also served as a reminder of his enduring class after a turbulent few months at club level. Amid summer speculation over his Napoli future, De Bruyne denied on September 23 that he had tried to leave the club, insisting: "...but I think we're doing fine." He endured an injury-hit first season in Serie A, limited to 21 appearances with five goals and four assists, but showed against Turkiye that he remains Belgium's talisman.

Same old story for Turkiye

For Turkiye, meanwhile, it was the same old story. They failed to take their opportunities in front of goal — the very failing that caused their group-stage exit at the World Cup — despite Arda Guler creating a match-high five chances.