Mark van Bommel will take charge of Belgium for the first time on Friday. Last week, the former Antwerp head coach announced his first Red Devils squad, with a few notable absentees and inclusions. His first job will be to reverse history when Belgium face Italy. In recent years, the Italians, despite their struggles, have gotten the better of Belgium on many an occasion.
The last time Belgium beat Italy was back in 2015 in a friendly. On the 13th November Belgium hosted Italy in Brussels with goals from Jan Vertonghen, Kevin De Bruyne and Michy Batshuayi cancelling out an early strike from Antonio Candreva. Since then, Italy have won four of the five meetings between the sides. On two occasions these defeats came at the Euros, with Italy beating Belgium in Euro 2020 to knock the side out of the tournament, with the Italians going on to beat England on penalties.
The sides have plaid each other often in the Nations League, with Italy winning in 2021 and in the previous meeting in 2024. Belgium have had a few managers since then, and van Bommel will be keen to get his tenure with the Red Devils off to a good start. De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku are the only players that remain from when Marc Wilmots side beat the Italians.
Like Belgium, Italy will be under new management. Roberto Mancini has returned to take charge of the side for the second time. Ironically, it was he who took over from Antonio Conte, the man in charge the last time Belgium beat Italy.
Belgium and Italy open their Nations League campaigns in the Stadio Olimpico on Friday evening. The Red Devils will then face France twice, either side of a home clash with Türkiye, to round out this prolonged international window.
