Italy defeated 2-0 by Belgium on the first day of the Nations League

The Italian national team was defeated by Belgium 2-0 at the Olympic stadium in Rome on the first day of the Nations League. A bitter debut on the bench for Roberto Mancini, who returned as coach of the Azzurri after the resignation of Gennaro Gattuso (THE LIVE STORY FROM SKY SPORT).

The news of Italy-Belgium

Belgium started strong and in the 20th minute Godts broke the deadlock, easily beating Donnarumma. Italy struggled to find the rhythm and only at the end of the first half found a spark with Cambiaghi, but the goal did not arrive. Then, in the second half, good opportunities with Kean and Esposito, but Belgium is still the protagonist with a great goal from Lukebakio in the 69th minute.

Italy-Belgium, the scoreboard 0-2

20' Godts (B), Lukebakio (69')

ITALY (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, G. Mancini, Coppola (65' Scalvini), Calafiori; Barella (80' Doumbia), Romano (65' Frattesi), Tonali; Kean, P. Esposito (65' Maldini), Cambiaghi (80' Zoma). Ct. R. Mancini.

BELGIUM (4-3-3): Lammens; Chestnuts, Mechele, Ngoy, De Cuyper; Tielemans, Raskin (74' Lavia), De Bruyne (58' Vanaken); Moreira (58' Lukebakio), De Ketelaere, Godst. Ct. Van Bommel.

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Mancini: "The boos were there but we were better in the second half"

"In the first half Belgium played better, we were in difficulty, then in the second they were in difficulty and we had our opportunities", commented Mancini at the end of the match. "Only the first half was below expectations, in the second we did very well until the counterattack for the Belgian 2-0," he added. Then, on the whistles against the national team, he clarified: "Do they hurt? No, of course when you lose you're not happy, the whistles are okay."