FT: BELGIUM 1 - 2 ITALY.

[Michael Morris]

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.

[Majorblue]

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.

[MacAdder]

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.

[ToTaL ITK]

please...belgium

[goats]

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

[life on mars]

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

Top keepers , will they decide this game???

[life on mars]

Belgium lost there way after goal , Verrati all over them

[City123]

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

[Zowhore]

What a goal by Insigne..

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

[Michael Morris]

2 - 0 Italy.

[Michael Morris]

Lukaku penalty.

2-1. HT

[life on mars]

Italy look the sharper

[goats]

Italy look the sharper

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

[surge]

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.

[LeningradCowboy]

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.

[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.

[goats]

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

[delmbox]

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

[goats]

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.

[delmbox]

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

Unfortunately they do, have done for years

[NYCBlue]

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

[delmbox]

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.

[Hilts]

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?

[City123]

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