Two of the best teams in Europe, Italy, and Belgium, will face each other for the first time in three years. The Azzuri are in a much better position going into this game with a perfect record. Belgium has been near the top of the continent for a while, but no significant success has been done yet by the Red Devils. Can they turn things around?
Italy and Belgium meet on 10.10.2024, with both of them targeting first place in the group. The match takes place at Stadio Olimpico in the Italian capital Rome on Thursday evening.
|
Italy |
Thursday, 10.10.2024, 20:45 |
Belgium |
|
1 |
x |
2 |
|
1,96 |
3,52 |
4,10 |
|
Expert Tip |
Both teams to score |
1,79 |
Italy – Belgium: Initial situation
Italy and Belgium have been in the semifinals of the Nations League previously, and hope that this time they will go one step further. Italy has been dominating Belgium in recent history and the Red Devils have not won on Italian soil this century. At this point of the season, with plenty of players not ready to play, anything is possible.
Italy Stats & Form
Italy is going through a difficult period and is still looking for their play under new manager Luciano Spalletti. The Azzurri missed the 2022 World Cup after losing to North Macedonia in the playoffs and then were eliminated by Switzerland in the round of 16 of the 2024 EURO. The early elimination was put behind, and Italy had a good start in the Nations League. First, they defeated France 3-1 on the road at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Federico Dimarco, Davide Frattesi, and Giacomo Raspadori scored for Italy. In the following game, Italy added another three points with a 2-1 win over Israel and now are on top of the standings. Now, Italy has 6 wins in the last 10 games with two draws and two losses. In six of their last ten games, there were under 2.5 goals in total.
Belgium Stats & Form
Just like Italy, Belgium was eliminated in the round of 16 at the 2024 EURO, losing 1-0 to France, which still was one step forward compared to the 2022 FIFA World Cup where they didn’t make it out of the group stage. Belgium had a solid start to the Nations League, winning 3-1 in the opener against Israel. Kevin de Bruyne scored twice and Youri Tielemans added another one for the Red Devils. In the second round of the competition, Belgium lost 2-0 to France, falling to score against the Blues. Now, Belgium is third in the standings with 3 points, as many as France. Belgium has 4 wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses in their last 10 games. Seven of their last ten games finished under 2.5 goals in total.
Italy – Belgium: Head to Head
Italy has won 6 of the last 10 games against Belgium, the Red Devils won 3, and one game ended in a tie. The last time they played was in the match for the third place in the 2021 Nations League edition when Italy won 2-1. That was their third consecutive win in the head-to-head games after winning with the same score in the 2020 EURO quarterfinal and 2-0 in the group stage of the 2016 EURO. The last time Belgium defeated Italy was in a friendly game in 2015, when they won 3-1. Seven of the last ten games between these two teams went over 2.5 goals in total.
Italy – Belgium Odds
Italy is a slight favorite going into this game with the odds of 1,96 in their favor. If you bet on Belgium to win on the road, the odds are 4,10 while the draw is at 3,52. The total goal line is set at 2.5 with 1.66 for over and 1.90 for under.
Top 3 Betting Odds
| Italy – Belgium Betting Tip | Odds |
| Both teams to score | 1,79 |
| First half over 1.5 goals | 2,82 |
| Over 2.5 goals | 1,96 |
Betting tip and prediction: Italy – Belgium (10.10.2024)
Italy has been in a rebuilding mode in the last few seasons and it is a fact that they are still searching for their identity. It is easy to conclude that they are playing much more aggressively today compared to the famous generations that won every major competition in the past two decades. Manager Luciano Spalleti took over the team last year and has a solid group of young players willing to prove their quality on the big stage. Belgium has a more experienced roster with the key players being on top of the European football for a decade now. Team captain Kevin de Bruyne has missed some time this season with Manchester City and is very unlikely that he will play against Italy. Belgium is not the same team without de Bruyne but his absence does not change their playing style. It’s been a while since the last game between these two and looking at their recent history, in four of their last five matchups both teams scored. Given the current circumstances, we expect a high-intense game with both teams finding the net at least once.
|
Expert Tip |
Both teams to score |
1,79 |