Italy and Belgium meet in a heavyweight UEFA Nations League League with both nations beginning new chapters under new coaches on Friday.
Roberto Mancini is back in charge of Italy for a second stint after previously coaching the nation until 2023.
This is one of the toughest Groups in the tournament with France and Turkey also competing for top spots as the group stage progresses.
Meanwhile, Belgium take to the field for the first time under the tutelage of former player Mark Van Bommel, looking to bounce back after a quarterfinal exit at the World Cup.
Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive edition and have a point to prove when they get their Nations League campaign underway here.
The red devils have not mustered a win against Italy in the last five matches played against their opponents, with their last victory coming in 2015.
Which of these sides will get their Nations League campaign off to a winning start here? Here is our predicted outcome for the match.
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What time does Italy vs Belgium start?
The match kicks off at 9:45PM E.A.T at the Stadio Olimpico
Italy vs Belgium team news
Mancini has made numerous changes to his squad ahead of the qualifiers with uncapped players Michael Kayode, Samuel Inacio and Mohamed Ali Zoma all being called up.
Mateo Retegui was left out of the squad and Federico Dimarco was ruled out through injury.
Francesco Pio Esposito and Gianluca Scamacca are both available and will lead the attacking line, with Giacomo Raspadori also in contention.
Moise Kean has become a constant feature in the Italian attack but may have to settle for a place on the bench.
Belgium’s all-time leading scorer Romelu Lukaku has been selected but he will not start as Charles De Ketaleare leads the attack.
Napoli’s Kevin De Bruyne will also get a place in the starting XI as well as other seasoned players such as Leandro Trossard and Youri Tielemans.
Italy vs Belgium head-to-head and current form
The hosts have been the superior team in recent years and have not lost to Belgium since 2015.
The 2021 Nations League third-place playoff ended 2-1 to Italy, while Italy also defeated Belgium 2-0 at Euro 2016.
Current form:
Italy – WWLWL
Belgium – LWWWD
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Italy vs Belgium previous games
- Belgium 0-1 Italy (November 14, 2024)
- Italy 2-2 Belgium (October 10, 2024)
- Italy 2-1 Belgium (October 10, 2021)
- Belgium 1-2 Italy (July 2, 2021)
- Belgium 0-2 Italy (June 13, 2016)
Italy vs Belgium prediction
Italy’s defensive uncertainty and Belgium’s attacking options make goals a realistic possibility, rather than picking an outright winner.
Both sides have enough quality to score goals and recent matches have shown that this fixture can produce goals for either side.
Prediction – Both teams to score – PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME HERE!