Nations League Italy-Belgium – PHOTOS from the pitch at the Olimpico

In the first fixture of Group A1 of the Nations League, Italy suffered a 0‑2 defeat to Belgium on the CAMPO of the Olimpico in Rome. Mika Godts opened the scoring in the 21’, while Dodi Lukebakio sealed it in the 69’. FOTO of the match showed the tense atmosphere.

Belgium's goals

In the 21’ the young Belgian striker Mika Godts found the back of the net, giving Belgium the early lead. Almost fifty minutes later, in the 69’, Dodi Lukebakio doubled the score, sealing the win. Both scorers shone on the CAMPO, confirming the danger of Van Bommel's side.

Reactions of the crowd

Before the start, the Belgian national anthem was met by a sizable number of fans who whistled, while a majority raised their hands to applaud. The Italian anthem was sung by the entire stadium, followed by a minute of silence to remember Sandro Mazzola. The images in FOTO captured the alternation of whistles and applause.

The Azzurri lineup

Roberto Mancini lined up the attacking trio of Kean, Pio Esposito and Cambiaghi, assigning Kean the striker role. In defense took the places Donnarumma, Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Coppola and Calafiori, while in midfield were Tonali, Romano and Barella. The decision to include Pio sparked interest among fans, especially after the compliments from Gigi Donnarumma.

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The Belgian lineup

The new head coach Renato Van Bommel opted for a defence consisting of Lammens, Castagne, Ngoy, Mechele and De Cuyper, while the midfield featured Tielemans, Raskin, De Bruyne, Moreira and De Ketelaere. In attack, besides Godts, Dodi Lukebakio was also fielded, who confirmed his worth with the second goal. The Belgian squad, with the presence of high‑level players, is regarded as one of the most formidable in the group.

Words from Mancini and Donnarumma

Roberto Mancini said: “We must play well and get a result: this is the only remedy to bring the people with us”. Captain Gigi Donnarumma recalled the difficult days in Zenica, adding: “In Zenica those were extremely hard days, but it is a pain still fresh and we do not want to reopen the discussion”. FIGC president Giovanni Malagò observed that the team must rebuild confidence after the “world disaster in Bosnia”. Mancini also acknowledged the opponent’s strength, describing them as “strong” and called the week “full of emotion”.

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Outlook for the Nations League

Tomorrow Italy will face Belgium again, led by Van Bommel, before an away match in Bursa against Turkey and, finally, a showdown with France, now coached by the newly appointed Zinedine Zidane. Mancini emphasized the goal of reaching the final to claim the first and second places of the Nations League, but warned that the group is strong. Young midfielder Romano impressed the captain, who said: “I am happy to have him with us”.