Rome’s Olympic Stadium was meant to frame Roberto Mancini’s return to Italy’s bench. Instead, Belgium left the capital with a 2-0 Nations League victory, while whistles from the home support followed the Azzurri at full time.
The opening matchday of Group A1 brought an uncomfortable start to Mancini’s new spell. Italy were criticised across Europe for a display seen as sluggish and disjointed, despite goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma preventing the scoreline from becoming heavier.
Quick facts
- Belgium defeated Italy 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
- The match was the first round of UEFA Nations League Group A1.
- It marked Roberto Mancini’s first game back in charge of Italy.
- Mika Godts scored after 20 minutes.
- Substitute Dodi Lukebakio added Belgium’s second in the 68th minute.
- Belgium’s win was their first official victory over Italy in 54 years.
Godts gave Belgium control midway through the first half, striking in the 20th minute. Italy struggled to find fluency, and Donnarumma’s work ensured the visitors did not establish a wider advantage before the interval.
Belgium sealed the result 23 minutes into the second half. Lukebakio had only recently entered the match when he scored the decisive second goal, turning a difficult Italian evening into a landmark result for the visitors.
Italian reaction was severe. Corriere dello Sport described the side as unattractive, slow and confused, stressing that Donnarumma had limited the damage. In Spain, AS judged that Mancini had introduced fresh ideas but that Italy had encountered a familiar outcome, with substantial rebuilding still required.
For Belgium, the journey from Rome carried a rare historical weight: an official win against Italy had eluded them for more than five decades. For Mancini and the Azzurri, the next stage of the Nations League campaign begins under immediate pressure after a return overshadowed by defeat and dissent from the stands.
