Nations League line-ups: Belgium vs. Italy

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Football Italia

·14 November 2024

Nations League line-ups: Belgium vs. Italy

Nicolò Barella starts in a new, more advanced role behind Mateo Retegui with Nicolò Rovella’s debut in midfield as Italy visit Romelu Lukaku’s Belgium.

It kicks off at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels at 19.45 GMT.

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You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this Nations League clash on the Liveblog.

The Azzurri are top of the group and need only one point from the remaining two games to be certain of qualification for the quarter-finals.

These teams drew 2-2 in Rome last month, as the Nazionale was leading comfortably 2-0 until Lorenzo Pellegrini’s red card, allowing Belgium to fight back.

Pellegrini is therefore suspended, with Samuele Ricci and Riccardo Calafiori injured, but Barella returns for the first time since EURO 2024 and is given a new trequartista role behind Serie A top scorer Retegui.

Instead, Lazio midfielder Rovella gets his senior Italy debut from the start.

Napoli’s Romelu Lukaku (R) celebrates after scoring the 0-1 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and SSC Napoli, in Milan, Italy, 29 October 2024. EPA-EFE/DANIEL DAL ZENNARO

Belgium are missing injured Charles De Ketelaere, Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, Malick Fofana and Joaquin Seys, while Thibaut Courtois is refusing to attend while Domenico Tedesco is coach.

Lukaku returns for the first time since the Euros, having asked for time off to work on his fitness at Napoli.

Maxim De Cuyper scored a great goal in the last meeting and is linked with a potential move to Milan.

It is possible Tedesco has changed his system to 3-5-2 in order to mirror Italy’s tactics.

The Red Devils have not beaten Italy in a competitive match since the European Championship play-off in May 1972, followed by two draws and four defeats.