Belgium punishes Italy with two sucker punches to take 2-0 win in Nations League

One quick counterattack was all Belgium needed to walk away from the Stadio Olimpico with all three points. In the 19th minute, Kevin De Bruyne sent Mika Godts racing through on goal, and the young forward finished low, just inside the left post, for the 0-1. Italy pushed hard for the equalizer, but the second half brought another Belgian counter: in the 68th minute, Charles De Ketelaere set up Dodi Lukebakio, who curled a right-footed shot from outside the box into the corner to seal the final 0-2.

The match, part of the UEFA Nations League, showed an Italy side that controlled the ball but couldn't turn that dominance into goals. Belgium, on the other hand, did what it does best: sit back, run, and strike when the game opened up.

A first half of dominance without reward

Italy came out looking to attack. As early as the 6th minute, De Ketelaere tested Gianluigi Donnarumma with a low shot that the goalkeeper saved, and shortly after, Moise Kean fired a shot that was also stopped. The home side kept creating chances, with Kean, Nicolo Cambiaghi and Alessandro Romano all trying their luck, but they lacked the finishing touch. Belgium, better organized defensively, found its reward on the only sequence it needed: the 19th-minute counter finished by Godts. Before halftime there were more warning signs from Belgium, with Mika Godts and Nathan Ngoy both close to a second goal, but the score stayed at the narrow visitors' lead heading into the break.

Italy's persistence and the final blow

To start the second half, Italy pushed again: Kean, Francesco Pio Esposito and Gianluca Mancini all tested Koen Casteels, who answered well between the posts. With substitutions bringing on Giorgio Scalvini, Daniel Maldini and Davide Frattesi, the home side looked for answers, but once again paid the price for its defensive lapses: another counterattack, this time set up by De Ketelaere, ended with Lukebakio's finish that made it 2-0 in the 68th minute. From there, Italy kept trying through Frattesi, Riccardo Calafiori and Scalvini, but there was no way back.

Match stats

The numbers confirm what was seen on the field: Italy controlled the ball more and took more shots, but Belgium was sharper where it counted, with more shots on target and more big chances despite seeing less of the ball. The estimated xG calculated after the fact based on shot locations also points to a closely matched game in terms of danger created: 2.29 for Italy compared to 2.72 for Belgium, a figure confirming the result wasn't a robbery, though the home side also deserved a bit more than it got.

What it means in the standings

The result puts Belgium atop Group A1 with 3 points after its first match, while Italy is left without points and with a goal difference of minus 2. The gap between the two sides in the standings is 3 points, though it's worth remembering this is only the first matchday of the group, so there's still plenty of road ahead.

For Belgium, the match confirms how effective its counterattacking approach can be, with Kevin De Bruyne and De Ketelaere as the creators and Godts and Lukebakio as the finishers. For Italy, the message is more uncomfortable: controlling the ball and generating volume wasn't enough against a rival that struck exactly when it needed to.