Godts among the goals as Belgium condemn Italy to defeat on Mancini's return

[p]Two new head coaches collided in Rome, with Mancini going toe-to-toe with new Red Devils boss Mark van Bommel.[/p][p]Azzurri supporters will be desperately hoping that Mancini can take [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/italy/hlKvieGH/"]Italy[/a] back to their former glories, but this sluggish start showed just how much work is needed here. [/p][p][b]The visitors took a deserved lead when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/godts-mika/CIrbY1Ml/"]Godts[/a] latched onto [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-bruyne-kevin/MsPs6OI5/"]Kevin De Bruyne[/a]’s through ball, weaved his way into the box past the challenges of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/coppola-diego/tdLvMbiM/"]Diego Coppola[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mancini-gianluca/dMy1KKlG/"]Gianluca Mancini[/a], before firing home his first senior international goal.[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/donnarumma-gianluigi/WScbdXmL/"]Gianluigi Donnarumma[/a] was doing all he could to keep the deficit at one, making a stunning double save to deny [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-ketelaere-charles/2eOa3r1T/"]Charles De Ketelaere[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/raskin-nicolas/xxLZVXdU/"]Nicolas Raskin[/a] in quick succession.[/p][p]He was called into action again moments later with an equally impressive save to keep out Godts’ header, before Italy spurned a golden chance to restore parity. [/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cambiaghi-nicolo/80NWC6K6/"]Nicolo Cambiaghi[/a] drifted a ball to the far post, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kean-moise/QPclX9Uq/"]Moise Kean[/a] could only find the side netting with his attempt at the far post in an absorbing first half. [/p][image alt="Momentum" id="96404b4b-bc57-4b14-90c4-908e22487a50" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="541d4d6f-c1fe-4162-a1e4-5af9f188ed13" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]Italy came out after the break with renewed vigour and almost equalised within two minutes of the restart when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lammens-senne/UFssg7X4/"]Senne Lammens[/a] made an outstanding save with his outstretched right leg to keep out Kean’s strike.[/p][p]The Manchester United goalkeeper then kept out [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/esposito-francesco/dKXxEOKj/"]Pio Esposito[/a]’s attempt, in a match that was being played at a breathless pace.[/p][p]But crucially, it was [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/belgium/GbB957na/"]Belgium[/a] that struck again courtesy of a fine individual effort from substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lukebakio-dodi/08a9jhm9/"]Lukebakio[/a].[/p][p][b]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/benfica/zBkyuyRI/"]Benfica[/a] forward had only been on the pitch for 11 minutes when he rifled an unstoppable finish into the bottom corner at the end of a devastating counter-attack, which deflated Italy after their bright start to the second half.[/b][/p][p]Italy were desperately searching for a way back into this contest, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/calafiori-riccardo/CEwq7x7l/"]Riccardo Calafiori[/a] was not far away from halving Belgium’s advantage with a left-footed strike that just cleared the far post.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/scalvini-giorgio/hvC4gron/"]Giorgio Scalvini[/a] then rattled the crossbar in the closing stages, in an ultimately frustrating night for the hosts.[/p][embed guid="6a8beb26-cc80-4e1b-97ec-e200541fcc50" url="https://x.com/BelRedDevils/status/2103584992232161510" social-type="twitter" /][p]Belgium held on for a deserved victory, which extends their fine run of form to just one defeat in their last 20 games across all competitions (W13, D6).[/p][p]Meanwhile, this may have only been a third loss in Italy’s last 12 games, but the damaging nature of those defeats leaves morale within the fanbase at an undoubted low point.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lammens-senne/UFssg7X4/"]Senne Lammens[/a] (Belgium)[/b][/p][image alt="Match stats" id="d7a04f23-7caa-4429-920a-9daced7dfa2a" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="a924ebc9-ac62-48ba-8962-57cff1b1b84a" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/belgium-GbB957na/italy-hlKvieGH/?mid=tdpJ30MO"]Catch up on the match with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p][infobox id="5a8fbd57-e97c-4bdc-9f6b-fb0fb254e893" /]