Italy Aims for Victory Against Belgium in Nations League Decider
Roberto Mancini stresses that Italy must pursue a win rather than settling for a draw against Belgium, as even a single point would secure their spot in the Nations League quarter-finals. During a pre-match press conference, Mancini cautioned that the decisive match at the King Baudouin Stadium on Sunday poses significant risks. Belgium previously defeated Italy 2-0 in September, with goals scored by Mika Godts and Romelu Lukaku.
“Dangerous game? Certainly, because it’s the last one,” Mancini acknowledged. “We start with a slight advantage, but that doesn’t mean we should be satisfied. It’ll be a great game against a team that only went out of the World Cup to Spain in the last minute.”
Spain eliminated Belgium from the World Cup quarter-finals in July with Mikel Merino’s goal in the 88th minute.
Mancini Evaluates Italy’s Line-up and Dimarco’s Position
Mancini confirmed that he doesn’t intend to make many changes to the squad that recently triumphed over France, winning 3-1.
“Tomorrow we’ll assess the others who have put in a lot of effort, but I don’t think we’ll make many changes,” he stated. “We need to work out who will need to rest.”
He also discussed the potential for using Federico Dimarco in a wide forward position.
“It’s an option we’ve been considering for some time, but these decisions must be evaluated based on each match. We’ll take all the time we need to decide. Assessments should be made according to the match, and even during it,” Mancini explained.
Additionally, FIGC commissioner Giovanni Malagò attended the press conference, leading Mancini to address whether the ongoing election situation within the federation might affect the team.
“We care about everything, of course. We’re here to win and try to qualify. That’s our objective tomorrow night,” he affirmed.
The match is set to commence at 20:45 CET [19:45 GMT].
