Italy vs Belgium

Stadio Olimpico sets the stage for a heavyweight 2024/25 UEFA Nations League clash between familiar foes Italy and Belgium.

Heading into round three, Italy are one of only three nations with a 100% record after the opening two Nations League matchdays following back-to-back victories against France and Israel. Luciano Spalletti’s side conceded precisely once on both occasions, extending their worrying run without a clean sheet to six matches. However, ‘Gli Azzurri’ boast a dominant recent record in the Nations League with five wins from their last six outings (L1). That’s a carbon copy of their six-game H2H form against Belgium (W5, L1), rounded off with a 2-1 home triumph in this competition four years ago. Therefore, the Italian will likely take the field in a buoyant mood, looking to add to their four consecutive home victories in competitive action – all of which saw them score at least two goals.

On the other hand, Belgium bounced back from another underwhelming result at a major international tournament with a 3-1 home win against Israel in their Group A2 opener. However, a 2-0 defeat against France last time out dampened optimism around Domenico Tedesco’s camp, worsening Belgium’s long-standing struggles against Europe’s finest. Indeed, you’d need to go back to June 2021 for Belgium’s last win against a top-ten-ranked nation, while a 2-0 victory against England in November 2020 remains their only Nations League win against such opposition. With Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku out of the squad, Tedesco’s men head to Rome as underdogs, seeking their first win away from home in 2024 (D2, L1).