Mark van Bommel’s tenure as Belgium boss began with a statement win, as his Red Devils defeated Roberto Mancini’s Italy in Rome during their Nations League opening fixture.
It marked the first competitive outing for the former Dutch international at the helm of Belgium, while Mancini found himself facing early scrutiny in his second stint leading the Azzurri.
Speaking afterward, Mancini urged supporters and pundits alike to look forward rather than dwell on Italy’s recent World Cup qualification failure. “We need to think positively and not keep dwelling on what happened before,” he remarked, acknowledging that dwelling on past disappointments would serve no purpose. He further noted that nothing could undo what had already occurred, and described the jeers from nearly fifty thousand fans inside the stadium as an expected, even routine, aspect of football at this level.
This is Mancini’s second spell in charge of the national team, having previously guided Italy to glory at Euro 2020 during his first stint between 2018 and 2023.
On the pitch, Belgium’s attacking quality shone through. Winger Mika Godts, currently on the books at Paris Saint Germain, opened the scoring with a slick finish, weaving past a pair of defenders inside the penalty area before slotting the ball home for his maiden international goal.
The visitors doubled their advantage through Benfica forward Dodi Lukebakio, who embarked on a driving run from midfield before unleashing a powerful strike from distance, roughly 25 yards out, that gave the goalkeeper no chance.
Late in proceedings, Mancini turned to his bench, handing full debuts to Sporting’s Issa Doumbia and Nuremberg’s Mohamed Ali Zoma as Italy searched for a way back into the contest.
