Italy vs Belgium predicted lineups and team news | OneFootball

Italy take on Belgium in the Nations League on Thursday and a fascinating contest is on the cards between the Group A2 rivals.

The Azzurri welcome the Red Devils to Rome’s Stadio Olimpico and the game kicks off at 7.45pm with live coverage on Premier Player.

After Italy’s disappointing title defence at Euro 2024, the Azzurri burst out of the traps in the Nations League, beating France 3-1 and Israel 2-1 in their first two Group A2 fixtures last month.

Manager Luciano Spalletti had less than a year to prepare for the Euros after succeeding Roberto Mancini in August 2023 and the Euro 2020 winners scraped into the last 16, where they were outclassed by Switzerland in a 2-0 defeat.

Spalletti, who led Napoli to the Serie A title in 2022-23, is aiming to rejuvenate Italy as an attacking force and there is a youthful look to his squad for the upcoming games against Belgium and Israel.

Roma’s Lorenzo Pellegrini is the only one of the 11 midfielders and forwards in the squad who is over the age of 25 and the manager has called up six uncapped players.

The newcomers include 20-year-old Roma midfielder Niccolo Pisilli and Monza forward Daniel Maldini, son of the legendary former Italy captain Paolo.

Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi, who scored in both of September’s Nations League wins, is hoping to extend his hot streak in front of goal and Napoli’s Giacomo Raspadori and Atalanta’s Mateo Retegui are Spalletti’s senior strikers.

Italy v Belgium Team News

As well as Pisilli and Maldini, Milan centre-back Matteo Gabbia, Leicester defender Caleb Okoli, Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio and Udinese forward Lorenzo Lucca are hoping to win their first senior caps for Italy.

The Azzurri are without injured Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella and Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret while Liverpool winger Federico Chiesa also misses out, having made only one substitute appearance for the Reds this season.

The in-form Lucca was added to the squad after Fiorentina’s Moise Kean was forced to withdraw with a back problem.

Belgium are missing a couple of star men as Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne and Napoli striker Romelu Lukaku have been omitted by coach Domenico Tedesco.

De Bruyne asked to be left out to aid his recovery from a groin injury although the 33-year-old has reiterated his commitment to the national team.

“I had a long telephone talk with Kevin,” Belgium boss Tedesco explained. “He is very motivated to continue to be with us and to play at the [2026] World Cup.”

Belgium’s record goalscorer Lukaku has also been rested, allowing him to build up his fitness after a summer move to Napoli, whose uncapped forward Cyril Ngonge is in the squad for the games against Italy and France.

Ngonge is likely to be behind Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard, RB Leipzig’s Lois Openda and Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku in the attacking pecking order while young midfielders Arne Engels of Celtic and Lyon’s Malick Fofana are also hoping for opportunities.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois declared in August that he would not play for Belgium while Tedesco was in charge of the national team.

Koen Casteels, who plays his club football for Al Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia, is the Red Devils’ number one and Nottingham Forest’s Matz Sels and Leipzig’s Maarten Vandevoordt are the other keepers in the squad.

Italy v Belgium Predicted XIs

Italy (3-5-1-1): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Bastoni, Calafiori; Cambiaso, Frattesi, Ricci, Tonali, Dimarco; Pellegrini; Retegui

Belgium (4-2-3-1): Casteels; Castagne, Faes, Debast, Theate; Tielemans, Onana; Lukebakio, Trossard, Doku; Openda