Nations League, Italy-Belgium 2-2: Azzurri ahead with Cambiaso and Retegui. Then everything changes

Rome, 10 October 2024 - A 38-minute long domination sealed by the goals of Cambiaso e Retegui before the red card given after on field review Pellegrini to do it on Theater and the immediate subsequent goal of From Cuyper: at this point between Italy e Belgium another match with a very different script begins. The guests besiege the Azzurri area and in the 62nd minute they reach the equaliser with the strike of Trossard and then they persist in chasing an advantage that will never come. National di Spalletti, among other things not sparing a few offensive sorties, defends tooth and nail a 2-2 with two faces that however allows it to remain at the top of the Group 2 by NActions League despite the comeback of the France, who meanwhile was beating with a round 4-1 the next opponents of Israel, to face Monday October 14. All 'Olympic There are regrets for the double comeback conceded, but there is also satisfaction for having limited the team's damage, which is not a given if you think of the rubble left by Euro 2024.

The official lineups

Spalletti choose a 3-5-1-1 that he sees between the posts Donnarumma, protected by By Lorenzo, Sticks e Calafiori, with Cambiaso e Marco's as fifths and Fraternity, Ricci e Tonali in the middle of the field: the only striker is Retegui, assisted by Pellegrini. German reply with a 4-2-3-1 open from Castles, with Debast, Faes, Theater e From Cuyper in a defense shielded by tielemans e Mangala: in front there is openday, supplied by The Ketelaere, Trossard e documentary.

First half  

L'Italy starts very strong and at the 1st minute already takes the lead when Marco's puts a ball in the middle Cambiaso reiterates the tap-in after the initial desperate intervention of Castles. On the wings of enthusiasm, it also strikes a Belgium in shock, the Azzurri insist in the 6th minute, when a throw from Sticks fishery Fraternity, which anticipates Castles and puts in the middle: Theater saves his team on the goal line. In the 7th minute he touches the first ball of his match Retegui: the guest defense somehow rejects but gives in to the attempt Fraternity which however ends high. At 9' tielemans overlooks the parts of Donnarumma, careful on the occasion. On the other hand it is up to Marco's to make himself seen, first by taking a free kick that finds no teammate and then narrowly missing the impact with the ball following a pass from Pellegrini. At 20' openday lean for documentary, whose left-footed shot is deflected into a corner: from the developments of the corner kick tielemans collects the short referral of Retegui on the spur of Theater, but the aim is imprecise. On the reversal of the front Cambiaso he's looking for it Retegui, anticipated by Faes: number 9 redeems himself immediately, in the 24th minute, by confirming the so-so response of Castles on the left of Cambiaso, in turn triggered by a large opening of Marco's. THE'Italy insists and at 31' he almost scores the third goal with Fraternity, which does not address the suggestion in the best way yet Marco's, who had shortly before spoken with TonaliThe Azzurri are in full control of the situation but in the 38th minute they hurt themselves when Pellegrini enters very hard on Theater: the referee Eskas He initially gets a yellow card but, after an on field review, he expels the idol of theOlympic. And it doesn't end there: from the developments of the following free kick, at 42', a scheme makes the ball go round tielemans a Trossard to From Cuyper, who with a great curling shot on the fly pierces Donnarumma and reopens a match that seemed to be over for his team. Belgium immediately besieges the blue area, earning a corner with a cross from documentary put out by Cambiaso: the same documentary insists shortly after, but this time it is Tonali to clear his area before the final whistle Eskas.

Second half

  The teams return with the same number of players: including theItaly despite the numerical inferiority, which at 48' is not felt when Sticks throws to perfection Fraternity, which from the edge shoots incredibly to the stars. Once the fear has passed, the Belgium he returns to attack and does so with a suggestion in the middle of documentary for openday contracted in the corner by By Lorenzo: from the developments of the same Calafiori rejects so-so, but Mangala he doesn't take advantage of it with an imprecise shot. At 54' the guest number 18 tries again: this time the aim is excellent, but Sticks rejects the threat. At 62' with a magic documentary he frees himself of half of the blue defense but not of By Lorenzo, who sends the ball to the corner: from the developments of the corner kick a paw of Trossard on a whim of Faes bring the match to the 2-2. To the 65 ' another corner makes the home defense tremble again: Faes he always takes it head on, but this time Donnarumma he comes out and takes the ball. German opens the wheel of substitutions by inserting Chestnuts, Lukebakio e Vranckx for Mangala, The Ketelaere e Theater. Spalletti he responds by throwing himself into the fray Udogy e beans for Marco's e Ricci. The Belgium pushes in search of the overtaking and in the 72nd minute he grazes it with a close touch of From Cuyper which grazes the post to the right of Donnarumma. At 78' theItaly, who now better contained the pressure from the visitors, lost a bad ball in midfield which Lukebakio, too hasty on the occasion, shoots badly in the curve. Spalletti changes again: outside Retegui e Tonali It's inside Breakers e pisilli. German, to restore verve in front of his players after a period of decline, inserts Fofana e ngonge for documentary e openday. Instead, in the 89th minute, the attacker showed upItaly within Fraternity, which he shoots before leaving the field Bellanova: Castles after arm touch (but attached to the body) of Faes. The injury time allocated by Eskas are 6 the Belgium tries to take advantage immediately to give himself the lead. The last chance to move the scoreboard instead falls to theItaly, who however makes bad use of a free kick earned by pisilli: to theOlympic ends 2-2, for everyone's regrets.