Italy vs Belgium – Predicted lineup and team news

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The Football Faithful

·25 September 2026

Italy vs Belgium – Predicted lineup and team news

Italy will begin their UEFA Nations League A campaign against European heavyweights Belgium on Friday at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico. The match will mark the start of a new chapter for the Azzurri under manager Roberto Mancini, who will be looking to guide the team through its rebuilding process after the World Cup disappointment.

Italy comes into the fixture still attempting to recover from the painful setback of missing the 2026 World Cup. Their hopes ended with a dramatic penalty shootout loss to Bosnia-Herzegovina in the playoff final. However, the Azzurri responded positively during the summer, recording successive 1-0 friendly wins against Luxembourg and Greece. Their defensive record has also offered encouragement, with Italy keeping four clean sheets in their last six matches despite their recent struggles in World Cup qualification.

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Italy team news

Mancini will have several selection problems to solve before the Belgium clash. Alessandro Bastoni is unavailable because he is serving a red-card suspension carried over from the World Cup playoffs.

The Italy manager has also suffered late squad withdrawals, with Federico Dimarco and Bryan Cristante leaving the group after suffering knee and back problems respectively.

With Giorgio Scalvini still working towards full match fitness, Diego Coppola is expected to receive an opportunity in the starting XI.

He could partner Riccardo Calafiori in central defence as Italy attempts to maintain their recent defensive stability.

Mancini is also continuing to assess his options in attack. Inter’s promising young forward Francesco Pio Esposito is being strongly considered to lead the line alongside Moise Kean.

Nevertheless, Giacomo Raspadori’s experience and Daniel Maldini’s creativity give the manager reliable alternatives if Italy need to change their attacking approach during the contest.