Mancini's Italy Return Spoiled by Belgium Defeat
- Italy lost 2-0 to Belgium in a Nations League match at Stadio Olimpico on Friday, marking the return of Italy coach Roberto Mancini to the national team after a three-year absence.
- Belgium coach Mark van Bommel celebrated a successful debut as Mika Godts scored in the 20th minute, capitalizing on a loose pass from 20-year-old midfielder Alessandro Romano making his Italy debut.
- Substitute Dodi Lukebakio extended Belgium's lead with a powerful 25-yard strike midway through the second half, while Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma produced multiple saves to contain repeated counterattacks.
- Only 47,155 spectators attended the 70,000-seat Stadio Olimpico, with home fans jeering loudly at the final whistle after a performance underscoring Italy's struggles six months after failing World Cup qualifying.
- Italy travels to Turkey on Monday, seeking to recover after substitute Giorgio Scalvini squandered a late opportunity from two yards out that epitomized the team's finishing struggles.
118 Articles
118 Articles
Rome, Italy. Bad return for Roberto Mancini to the bench of the Italian national team: Azzurra lost 2-0 at home to Belgium this Friday in Rome, on the first day of group A1 of the UEFA Nations League. After missing the World Cup for the third consecutive edition, the fans expected much more from the start of this new stage, in which Mika Godts (20′) and Dodi Lukebakio (68′) decided in favor of the Red Devils. Belgium also had a good start, the D…
Roberto Mancini's team was overtaken at the premiere of the Nations League and received a strong reprobation in Rome
UEFA Nations League: Mancini’s Italy return ends in 2-0 defeat to Belgium
Roberto Mancini’s second debut as Italy coach ends in a 2-0 UEFA Nations League defeat to Belgium, with goals from Mika Godts and Dodi Lukebakio in Rome. Read More: https://punchng.com/uefa-nations-league-mancinis-italy-return-ends-in-2-0-defeat-to-belgium/
The new course of the national team begins with a defeat for 2-0: the blues suffer in the first half, they go under with Godts' goal, react after the interval but do not find the draw. Then the doubling of Lukebakio and the whistles of the Olimpico. The article Mancini, the return is bitter: Belgium dominates Italy at the Olimpico comes from La Verità.
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