UEFA Nations League: Belgium fight back as 10-man Italy squander two-goal advantage

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Italy’s Nations League journey hit a bump after they were held to a 2-2 draw by Belgium at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome on Thursday.

Despite a 2-0 lead, a red card for Lorenzo Pellegrini shifted momentum, allowing Belgium to claw their way back.

The match started in Italy’s favour, with Federico Di Marco setting the tone early. His low cross found Juventus defender Andrea Cambiaso, whose initial effort was saved before he tapped in the rebound to give Italy the lead within the first minute.

ALSO READ:

• England’s tactical gamble fails as Greece secure first-ever victory against Three Lions
• AFCON 2025 qualifiers: Ghana drop points against Sudan, held to goalless draw in Accra
• NPFL25: Ikorodu City FC loses again, rooted at the bottom of the table with one point
• OFFICIAL: Ikorodu City FC confirms departure of Head Coach Ozebagbe

Italy soon doubled their advantage in the 24th minute when Atalanta forward Mateo Retegui capitalised on another Di Marco delivery. Cambiaso had nearly scored again, but Retegui pounced on the loose ball after Koen Casteels’ save.

However, Italy’s dominance was derailed just before halftime when Pellegrini received a red card following a VAR review. The midfielder’s strike on Arthur Theate shifted the game’s energy, handing Belgium a lifeline.

With enough time to stage a comeback, Belgium quickly took advantage, pulling one back moments after the red card. Maxim de Cuyper’s curling shot from the edge of the box reignited Belgian hopes, stemming from a clever free-kick routine.

Coach Luciano Spalletti acknowledged that the red card was a turning point in the game. Belgium came out stronger in the second half, with Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard equalising just after the hour mark following a headed assist from Wout Faes.

Italy held firm despite the pressure, though Spalletti admitted the team’s performance dropped after the red card. Cambiaso echoed those thoughts, lamenting how well they had played before the sending-off.

“Too bad, we did the first 40 minutes until the expulsion,” said Cambiaso.

Belgium, missing key players like Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, will now face a crucial clash with France on Monday. Italy, still topping the group, will look to bounce back against Israel in their next outing.

With a win over France, Belgium could still secure a top-two finish and qualify for the Nations League quarter-finals.

Italy lead the group standings with seven points, narrowly ahead of France, who defeated Israel 4-1. Belgium, now with four points, still have everything to play for as the group stage heats up.

Tags: Belgium, Italy, Nations League, #UNL, Kevin de Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Andrea Cambiaso, Wout Faes, Leandro Trossard, Mateo Retegui, Arthur Theate, Luciano Spalletti, Lorenzo Pellegrini, France, Israel, Maxim de Cuyper, Stadio Olimpico, Koen Casteels, #NewsRoundTheClock, #nrtcnewsnigeria, #nrtcnigeria, #nrtcnews, #nrtcsports.