FT: BELGIUM 1 - 2 ITALY.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• This is the fifth match between the sides at a major tournament, but the first in the knockout stage.
• Italy have won three of the previous four encounters at a major tournament, drawing the other.
• Italy's 2-0 triumph in Lyon in the group stage at Euro 2016 is their most recent game against Belgium. Emanuele Giaccherini scored after 32 minutes before Graziano Pelle added a second in injury-time.

Belgium

• Belgium were knocked out in the quarter-finals of Euro 2016, losing 3-1 to Wales.
• They have won 11 of their last 13 games (D2), scoring 32 goals and conceding eight.
• Belgium have lost just one of their last 27 games (W23, D3).
• Their only defeat since the start of 2019 was 2-1 against England at Wembley in the Nations League in October.
• They have scored in each of their last 34 games, last failing to net in the 1-0 loss to France in the 2018 World Cup semi-final.
• Since Roberto Martinez's first game in charge in September 2016, they have won more games (47) and scored more goals (175) than any other European nation.
• Thorgan Hazard has provided four goals and two assists in his last seven starts.

Italy

• Italy have reached the European Championship quarter-finals for the fourth tournament in a row.
• Their three most recent quarter-final appearances have all been decided by a penalty shoot-out - losing to Spain in 2008, beating England in 2012 and losing to Germany in 2016.
• Italy have won a national record 12 games in a row, scoring 34 goals and conceding one.
• They are unbeaten in a national record 31 games (W26, D5) since losing 1-0 to Portugal in the Nations League in September 2018.
• They conceded their first goal since October in extra time against Austria, ending a run of 19 hours and 28 minutes without conceding.
• Matteo Pessina could become the first Italy player to score in three consecutive matches at the Euros.

Really looking forward to this one.

Winner probably becomes the favourite, on paper, to win the thing.

Both sides have shown some flaws as well as sublime skill and technique so really too close to call with any confidence.

Will be interesting to see how both approach the game but I would expect a safety first approach and would not be surprised if we end up with a penalty shoot out.

With my Flemish roots I have to back Belgium but I really want the Italians to win.

Difficult one to call this.
Belgium on paper should be favourites, have real match winners but Italy have become very tough to beat under Mancini and the latter have become very stingy at the back.

I think that Belgium would provide a tougher test for England, should England progress that far, however, as we have seen before with the Belgians, they do have a tendency to produce the odd stinker.

I just hope it doesn't become a slugfest going into extra time thus taking too much out of each other.

I think I will go for a 1 nil victory to Belgium.

please...belgium

Ground looks empty…..Germans not letting border countries in?

Belgium look good going forward but do give the ball away in midfield and defence.

Top keepers , will they decide this game???

Belgium lost there way after goal , Verrati all over them

2 - 0 Italy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by life on mars

Belgium lost there way after goal , Verrati all over them

---

Italy a very well coached side, know exactly what they're doing. Mancini is the best manager in the competition and its showing

What a goal by Insigne..

Now Belgium penalty, one of the most enjoyable games this tournament

Lukaku penalty.

2-1. HT

Italy look the sharper

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by life on mars

Italy look the sharper

---

Cheating all over the place as usual….make me sick with their faking injury

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by goats

Cheating all over the place as usual….make me sick with their faking injury

---

Though exaggerated, the Italian forward goes down but when he does get up he clearly has a black-eye, their goalie collides with their own defender but that doesn't mean the knock isn't genuine enough...

Belgium have gone out before a final in 2016 with lack of defensive cover and a really average manager, in 2018 by meeting the best side in the tournament one game too early and now in 2021 probably due to covid delays, rotten luck with injuries and being on wrong side of the draw again.

Not much consolation for them but that was the best game of tournament so far and an example of why we watch football.

Italy deserved that win, but there was some embarrassing play acting and a few baffling refereeing decisions.

Apart from Wales (where obviously we've been robbed) I agree with much of the praise for referees and VAR in the competition, but the halo slipped with this one. No wonder the Belgians were steaming at the end.

It's hard to feel sorry for Belgium. They underperform.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jon1959

Italy deserved that win, but there was some embarrassing play acting and a few baffling refereeing decisions.

Apart from Wales (where obviously we've been robbed) I agree with much of the praise for referees and VAR in the competition, but the halo slipped with this one. No wonder the Belgians were steaming at the end.

---

Just saw the classic one where the Italian is pretending to be injured in the box before the first goal, Belgian defenders bemoaning him faking it, they score a few seconds later and low and behold he rises magically off the floor and runs over to celebrate with his teammates…..I hope Spain stuff them

https://youtu.be/h_lCcvQ43WI

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by goats

Just saw the classic one where the Italian is pretending to be injured in the box before the first goal, Belgian defenders bemoaning him faking it, they score a few seconds later and low and behold he rises magically off the floor and runs over to celebrate with his teammates…..I hope Spain stuff them

https://youtu.be/h_lCcvQ43WI

---

literally every team does this kind of shit, including Cardiff City

Also a load of drama queens on Twitter bleating about how that makes a mockery of what happened to Eriksen. Piss off, Eriksen was as partial to a dive as anyone. I wish diving didn't exist as much as the next fan, it's embarrassing, but if Bale had dived in the box to steal us a win against Denmark would I give a shit? Absolutely not, dive on Gareth, dive on.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by goats

Cheating all over the place as usual….make me sick with their faking injury

---

I can forgive them 10 minutes of shithousery when defending a one-goal lead after 80 minutes of playing brilliant football.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by delmbox

literally every team does this kind of shit, including Cardiff City

---

Do they? I barely watch any football these days so don’t notice it.

Didnt that aggro at the end of the Turkey game begin with a Welsh player maybe Rodon throwing himself to the floor holding his face when barely touched?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by goats

Do they? I barely watch any football these days so don’t notice it.

---

Unfortunately they do, have done for years

Diving is an extension of a player appealing for the throw in when he knows that he touched it last.

Most players, not all though, will do anything try to gain an advantage including diving or overacting when touched by an opposing player then.

British players were pretty good at playing the game the "proper way" but having played against teams from continental Europe and seeing what they got away with, the sportsmanship element gradually faded to where we are now.

It now seems widely accepted that all's fair in love, war and football.

Belgium were the last remaining team who had won their group despite not being a "host nation".

Czechia and Ukraine finished third in their group which means there are technically equal number of third placed teams to second placed teams left with Spain and Denmark still in.

Ukraine were ranked 24th in the world coming into this competition, Czechia ranked 40th. The four other nations are all in FIFA's top 10 with England highest ranked side left in the contest at 3rd - they still haven't played another side ranked in the top 10 in this year's tournament despite 7 (6 if excluding England) of the top 10 being UEFA.

Spain are the team most comparable to England having been a "host nation" and thus far avoided top 10 competition. If Spain make the final they'll have played in four different countries, if Italy do it will be three and if England do it will be just two.

If England and Denmark win then each of the semi-finalists will be a "host nation".

Can you tell that I think being a "host nation" has been a massive advantage? :hehe:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by surge

Belgium were the last remaining team who had won their group despite not being a "host nation".

Czechia and Ukraine finished third in their group which means there are technically equal number of third placed teams to second placed teams left with Spain and Denmark still in.

Ukraine were ranked 24th in the world coming into this competition, Czechia ranked 40th. The four other nations are all in FIFA's top 10 with England highest ranked side left in the contest at 3rd - they still haven't played another side ranked in the top 10 in this year's tournament despite 7 (6 if excluding England) of the top 10 being UEFA.

Spain are the team most comparable to England having been a "host nation" and thus far avoided top 10 competition. If Spain make the final they'll have played in four different countries, if Italy do it will be three and if England do it will be just two.

If England and Denmark win then each of the semi-finalists will be a "host nation".

Can you tell that I think being a "host nation" has been a massive advantage? :hehe:

---

The set up is a joke, we will never hear the end of it if they do win it. Another victory all on home soil, bar today, hey!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by goats

The set up is a joke, we will never hear the end of it if they do win it. Another victory all on home soil, bar today, hey!

---

Only three "host nations" didn't qualify for the knock-outs: Russia (38th in most recent FIFA's World Rankings), Scotland (44th) and Hungary (37th) with each of those appearing in a group with another "host nation" meaning only two of their three games were at home. Only Scotland didn't also have multiple top 10 nations in their group.

Czechia are the only side so far to beat a "host nation" in a knock-out game with Austria and Belgium losing to Italy, Croatia and Switzerland losing to Spain, Germany losing to England and Wales to Denmark.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by surge

Only three "host nations" didn't qualify for the knock-outs: Russia (38th in most recent FIFA's World Rankings), Scotland (44th) and Hungary (37th) with each of those appearing in a group with another "host nation" meaning only two of their three games were at home. Only Scotland didn't also have multiple top 10 nations in their group.

Czechia are the only side so far to beat a "host nation" in a knock-out game with Austria and Belgium losing to Italy, Croatia and Switzerland losing to Spain, Germany losing to England and Wales to Denmark.

---

Jeeez, all this moaning about the format. Yes, it's crap - but it is what it is. Maybe they should hold the next Euros in somewhere like Uruguay so that all home advantage is removed? :-)

Anyway, I'm now firmly in the 'anyone but Italy' camp.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by goats

Just saw the classic one where the Italian is pretending to be injured in the box before the first goal, Belgian defenders bemoaning him faking it, they score a few seconds later and low and behold he rises magically off the floor and runs over to celebrate with his teammates…..I hope Spain stuff them

https://youtu.be/h_lCcvQ43WI

---

A thing of true beauty, should be put in the Louvre

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Swiss Peter

Jeeez, all this moaning about the format. Yes, it's crap - but it is what it is. Maybe they should hold the next Euros in somewhere like Uruguay so that all home advantage is removed? :-)

Anyway, I'm now firmly in the 'anyone but Italy' camp.

---

At the end of the day one of the following will be true about the knock-outs:

I) Czechia are no longer the only non-host nation side to knock out a host nation, or
Ii) Czechia will become the only non-host nation side to knock out a host nations side and have repeated the feat, or
Iii) the semi final will be made up purely of host nation sides.

It's not so much the home advantage which is every tournament but also massive differences in travel. Especially after long season post-covid.

You can't go into a tournament thinking about how you're disadvantaged - you're meant to find ways to win anyway - but it's an important part of the context. If Czechia win today they're probably the team who have handled it best and we can try to learn from them.

Got to have a look at Martinez when it comes to Belgium not quite getting there. He's a good coach, but utter shit on the defensive side of things, he also struggles when teams with a bit of quality press higher. Look at the players Belgium have at their disposal, drilled to take teams out and batter them in the final third. Martinez has failed.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tuerto

Got to have a look at Martinez when it comes to Belgium not quite getting there. He's a good coach, but utter shit on the defensive side of things, he also struggles when teams with a bit of quality press higher. Look at the players Belgium have at their disposal, drilled to take teams out and batter them in the final third. Martinez has failed.

---

Baffles me that a team who's issues are defensive hired a manager whose issues are also defensive. Italy highlighted how poorly coached Belgium were

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tuerto

Got to have a look at Martinez when it comes to Belgium not quite getting there. He's a good coach, but utter shit on the defensive side of things, he also struggles when teams with a bit of quality press higher. Look at the players Belgium have at their disposal, drilled to take teams out and batter them in the final third. Martinez has failed.

---

Quote:

---

Unfair to say Belgium’s golden generation failed by not winning a trophy. One: golden relative to what came before in Belgium. Two: talents in different positions peaked at different moments. Three: they’ve never had full backs! A piece on their exit.

A thing I had completely forgotten: who started at right back for Belgium in the World Cup semi final v France? Nacer Chadli.

https://twitter.com/AdamCrafton_/sta...28241579458561

---

I think you might be coming on too strong there. Didn't the commentators say something like Martinez losing just three competitive games with Belgium?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by surge

I think you might be coming on too strong there. Didn't the commentators say something like Martinez losing just three competitive games with Belgium?

---

Those stats can be a little misleading with international managers, particularly of the big countries. A lot of those wins will be against the likes of Cyprus