UNL | Belgium 0-1 Italy: Tonali’s first goal books quarter final | OneFootball

Sandro Tonali’s first ever goal for Italy proved enough to beat Belgium in Brussels and guarantee their place in the Nations League quarter-final.

The Azzurri were leading comfortably 2-0 when these sides met last month, but Lorenzo Pellegrini’s red card prompted the comeback for 2-2. Pellegrini was suspended, with Samuele Ricci and Riccardo Calafiori injured, but Nicolò Rovella made his debut with Nicolò Barella returning for the first time since EURO 2024 in a new, more advanced role. The Red Devils missed Charles De Ketelaere, Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, Malick Fofana and Joaquin Seys, but Napoli striker Lukaku was back in action and they shifted to a 3-5-2 formation.

See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.

Italy dominated possession from the start and practically walked the ball into the net for the opening goal. Giovanni Di Lorenzo completed a give and go with Barella’s dinked pass over the top, pulling back from the right for Tonali to tap in undisturbed from five yards. Not only was it his first goal for Italy at the 20th cap, but he hadn’t found the net since August 2023 for Newcastle United.

Timothy Castagne intercepted the dangerous David Frattesi roll across for Federico Dimarco, while Tonali was crowded out after another well-worked team move down the right between Frattesi and Di Lorenzo.

After the restart, Engels and Leandro Trossard blasted over from the edge of the box, while Gianluigi Donnarumma plucked a long-range Zeno Debast strike out of the air.

Mateo Retegui was sent clear by a Frattesi through ball, denied by the desperate Casteels one-handed save at the near post. On the resulting corner, Di Lorenzo, Retegui and Frattesi all had attempts charged down in a mad scramble in the six-yard box.

epa11721655 Wout Faes (C), Arthur Theate (2-L), and goalkeeper Koen Casteels (R) of Belgium in action against Giovanni Di Lorenzo of Italy (L) during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Belgium and Italy in Brussels, Belgium, 14 November 2024. EPA-EFE/OLIVIER MATTHYS

Moments later, Donnarumma was also called into action on Trossard’s volley from the edge of the area, getting down to push it round the upright.

Lois Openda pounced on a poor Frattesi back-pass to force Donnarumma into a save with his legs at Italy’s near post.

Donnarumma punched an in-swinging Maxim De Cuyper corner out from under the bar, but Andrea Cambiaso and substitute Moise Kean both went for the same Di Lorenzo pull-back and got in each other’s way.

Lukaku had a huge opportunity on 79 minutes with a glancing header just wide on the deflected cross from the right.

Di Lorenzo also threw himself in the way of a Lukaku finish and on the resulting corner, the Wout Faes backwards header was flicked onto the upright on 83 minutes.

Belgium 0-1 Italy

Tonali 11 (I)