Weak Italy lose in the Nations League with no chances

The Nations League's weak Italy had to endure a bitter defeat on Friday evening at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, as the Belgians took an early lead and finished the match 0-2; Moise Kean remained goalless, although after the missed World Cup many things were supposed to improve.

Early Belgian lead goal

At the Olympic Stadium in Rome, Mika Godts of Paris Saint-Germain gave the Belgians the lead in the 20th minute, which immediately put long faces on the Italians. The early Belgian lead gave little hope for weak Italy to emerge.

Roberto Mancini, who in 2023 had followed the lure of Saudi money and now began his second term as the Italian national coach, found himself defeated after only a few minutes. His attempt to start the rebuild after the third missed World Cup was abruptly halted.

Nations League Italy-Belgium: whistles at the Belgian anthem, applause for the Italian anthem

Italy only turned things around in the second half, but Dodi Lukebakio used a counter‑attack to extend the score to 0-2 in the 69th minute. With that, the Belgians confirmed their control of the match.

In the 80th minute Mohamed Ali Zoma of 1. FC Nürnberg made his debut, while Samuele Inácio of Borussia Dortmund only took a seat on the stands. The late substitution showed Italy's search for fresh impetus.

The first match under the new coach offers little cause for optimism, as after the missed World Cup many things were expected to improve, but the defeat highlights the upcoming challenges. Italy must now quickly find solutions to push forward the planned rebuild.