After beating France and Israel in September, Italy drew 2-2 against Belgium at the Olympic Stadium in the third match of the Nations League group stagea draw which allows the Azzurri to maintain first place in group 2 of League A. Luciano Spalletti’s boys were perfect in the first half hour, the best 30 minutes of this management: after 60 seconds Andrea took the lead Changed, then in the 24th minute Mateo Retegui doubled the score.
The episode that put Belgium back on track was the red card given to Pellegrini in the 39th minute. With the subsequent free kick, Tedesco’s team halved the deficit and then in the second half they found the net to finally equalise.
At the end of the match, this is Luciano Spalletti’s analysis: “There are some episodes that change the games, but we had the chance to play well in the second half too. We saw the team doing well on the pitch, as in the previous two matches. We had to confirm ourselves and we did it.”
Italy-Belgium 2-2, the scoreboard
Italy (3-5-1-1): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Bastoni, Calafiori; Cambiaso, Frattesi (45′ st Bellanova), Ricci (25′ st Fagioli), Tonali (35′ st Pisilli), Dimarco (25′ st Udogie); Pilgrims; Retegui (35′ st Raspadori). Available: Di Gregorio, Vicario, Buongiorno, Gabbia, Lucca, Maldini, Okoli. All.: Spalletti
Belgium (4-2-3-1): Casteels; Debast, Faes, Theate (23′ st Vranckx), De Cuyper; Tielemans, Mangala (23′ st Castagne); Doku (42′ st Fofana), De Ketelaere (23′ st Lukebakio), Trossard; Openda (42′ st Ngonge).
Available: De Wolf, Vandevoordt, Bakayoko, Bornauw, De Winter, Engels, Ngonge, Smets. All.: German
Referee: Eskas
Markers: 2′ Cambiaso (I), 24′ Retegui (I), 42′ De Cuyper (B), 16′ st Trossard (B)
Ammonites: Donnarumma, Pisilli (I), Trossard (B)
Expelled: Pellegrini (I)
LEAGUE A, GROUP 2
Italy 7 points
France 6
Belgium 4
Israel 0