Football Italia
·10 October 2024
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·10 October 2024
Luciano Spalletti is ready to confirm the same Italy starting XI that beat France in Paris last month, with Lorenzo Pellegrini behind Mateo Retegui in attack.
It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome at 20:45 CET (18:45 GMT) this evening.
The Azzurri won the opening two matches against France and Israel last month and aim to win their Nations League group to be among the seeded teams at the 2026 World Cup qualifiers draw.
Spalletti admitted at a pre-match press conference on Wednesday that tonight’s game would be ‘fundamental’ for the Azzurri’s future.
Spalletti is expected to pick the same line-up that beat France last month: Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Riccardo Calafiori, and Alessandro Bastoni in central defence, Samuele Ricci, Davide Frattesi, and Sandro Tonali in the middle of the park, and Pellegrini behind Serie A’s leading scorer, Retegui.
Belgium is coached by Italian tactician Domenico Tedesco, who confirmed on Wednesday that Napoli ace Romelu Lukaku decided not to join the team as he still needs time to settle in Naples.
The game is available for free on the Viaplay International YouTube channel. No TV channels in the UK are showing the match live. Football Italia will provide live updates through the Football Italia LIVEBLOG. If you are in Italy, you can watch the game on Rai 1 or their streaming service, Rai Play.
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, Mangala; Lukebakio, Trossard, Doku; Openda.