Belgium fought back from two goals down to secure a 2-2 draw against 10-man Italy in Rome on Thursday, keeping their hopes of reaching the Uefa Nations League quarter-finals alive.
Maxim De Cuyper and Leandro Trossard were the heroes for Belgium, which sat in third place, pulling within three points of Group A2 leaders Italy. The Italians were reduced to 10 men after midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini was shown a straight red card for a dangerous foul on Arthur Theate seven minutes before half-time.
Italy had dominated early, going two goals up, but Pellegrini’s dismissal shifted momentum. Just three minutes after the red card, De Cuyper struck a stunning long-range goal in the 42nd minute to halve the deficit.
Andrea Cambiaso opened the scoring for Italy with his first international goal just over a minute into the match, and Mateo Retegui added a second midway through the first half. Italy looked vibrant and in control as they aimed to continue their post-Euro 2024 revival under Luciano Spalletti.
However, Belgium, without key players Kevin De Bruyne (injured) and Romelu Lukaku (still regaining fitness at Napoli), refused to buckle. Leandro Trossard equalized in the second half, poking home after Wout Faes’ knockdown to level the game with nearly 30 minutes left.
Despite being a man down, Italy played with resilience and spirit, refusing to collapse after the equalizer. They now face Israel in Udine, where they are favourites to maintain their top spot in the group after their impressive first-half performance.
Meanwhile, Domenico Tedesco’s Belgium will host second-placed France on Monday, knowing a win could leapfrog them into one of the top two spots, securing a place in the quarter-finals.
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