Italy take on the visitors Belgium in the round 3 match of UEFA Nations League group stage. The match will be played on Thursday, October 10th at Stadio Olimpico (Rome).
Italy won Euro 2020 in impressive style, and it was a deserved victory. However, this success stands as an exception to the overall decline of this historical European football giant. Before that, Italy missed out on the 2018 World Cup, and then, under Mancini, failed to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, losing to North Macedonia at home in the playoffs. Under Spalletti, their performance at the summer Euros was unconvincing—they lost to Spain and barely made it to the playoffs after a late equalizer against Croatia, only to lose 0-2 to familiar foes Switzerland. But the refreshed Italian squad looks promising, having beaten not only Israel but also France in September with an impressive 3-1 away win.
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Belgium is trying to maintain its standard, but it's challenging. The "Red Devils" set a record by winning the bronze medal at the 2018 World Cup. However, after a poor showing at the next World Cup, Roberto Martínez was replaced. His successor, Domenico Tedesco, started well by convincingly winning last year's qualification. However, he had a falling out with Courtois, which meant they had to go to the Euros without one of the world's best goalkeepers. In Germany, Belgium only managed to beat Romania, and after scraping through to the playoffs, they were knocked out 1-0 by France in the Round of 16 due to a Vertonghen own goal. In September, they faced France again, and after beating Israel 3-1 in the first round, they lost 0-2 to the French, sparking criticism from De Bruyne. It seems all is not well in the Belgian camp, especially with De Bruyne and Lukaku asking for some time off.
Italy has won 5 of the last 6 encounters, including the last 3 matches in a row. The "Red Devils" are not impressive, while Italy's performance last month should boost their confidence. Bet on Italy to secure a home win.
Prediction for the match: Italy to win.
