Italy suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the final group-stage match of the Nations League, missing the chance to qualify for the quarter-finals. France’s win over Turkey sealed the group’s fate, with the Italian team ending its campaign in third place.
The match started quite well for the Azzurri, who took the lead in the opening minutes. Pio Esposito was accurate, capitalizing on a pass from Kayode and sending the ball into the net. However, the lead lasted only four minutes, as De Cuyper equalized after a Belgian move.
After that, the hosts took full control of the game. Ngoy turned the score around, while Doku scored a fantastic goal after an individual run, taking the score to 3-1 in the first half.
In the second half, Italy failed to respond, while Belgium continued to create dangerous chances. De Ketelaere hit the crossbar, before Moreira scored the fourth goal in the 81st minute.
In the end, Italy had the chance to score a second goal, but Lammens saved Pio Esposito’s penalty.