Belgium take on the visitors Italy in the round 5 match of UEFA Nations League group stage. The match will be played on Thursday, November 14th at King Baudouin Stadium (Brussels).
Following their disappointing World Cup campaign in Qatar, the “Red Devils” brought in a new coach, Domenico Tedesco. While they navigated last year’s qualification relatively well, the team struggled at the Euros, winning only once—against Romania—before suffering an unfortunate early knockout by France in the first round of the playoffs due to an own goal. Domenico kept his job, but his tenure hasn’t been particularly successful this autumn. The team has been hampered by the absence of its star players. Thibaut Courtois had a falling out with Tedesco back in 2023, and after being left out of the Euro squad, he has since refused to play under the current coach. Meanwhile, De Bruyne and Lukaku requested a break this autumn. Unsurprisingly, Belgium has only managed one win, over the group’s underdog, Israel, and a 2-2 draw with Italy. Both encounters with France ended in losses, leaving them with virtually no chance of improving their current third place in the group.
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Italy is striving to find reasons for pride. The “Azzurri” were crowned Euro 2020 champions but have since lost successive playoff matches for World Cup qualification. Even in last year’s qualifiers, they faced challenges. Though they ultimately qualified for the European Championship directly, their path to the playoffs was tense—they only advanced by drawing with Croatia in the third round and beating Albania. However, they were eliminated in the Round of 16 with a 0-2 loss to Switzerland. Coach Spalletti decided not to step down. This fall, Italy began with an away win over France. They also recorded two wins over Israel, but only managed a 2-2 draw at home against Belgium. Dropping points here could put them in a trailing position for the decisive clash against “Les Bleus.” However, if Deschamps’ team slips up, a win in Brussels would secure Italy’s place at the top of the group.
Prior to their 2-2 draw in October, the “Azzurri” had won three consecutive games against the “Red Devils.” The “Red Devils” will certainly try to win, but a safer bet seems to be “total over 2.5 goals.”
Prediction for the match: Over 2.5 scored goals.
