Belgium vs Italy Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When does Belgium vs Italy kick off? Belgium vs Italy will take place on Friday 2nd July, 2021 at 20:00 (UK)
Where is Belgium vs Italy being played? Belgium vs Italy will take place at Allianz Arena, Munich
Where can I get tickets for Belgium vs Italy? Click here for the latest ticket information for Belgium vs Italy
What television channel is Belgium vs Italy on in the UK? Belgium vs Italy will be televised live on BBC
Where can I stream Belgium vs Italy in the UK? This match can be streamed live on the BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website
HEAD-TO-HEAD
All matches: Belgium 4 wins, Italy 14 wins, 4 draws
Last meeting: Belgium 0-2 Italy (13/06/16)
THE LOWDOWN
BELGIUM
- Belgium were able to ride a wave of late pressure as they were able to hang on and knock out defending champions Portugal thanks to a solitary goal in a game with little to separate the pair.
- Neither side gave a great deal away and it took a superb strike from Thorgan Hazard to put the Belgians ahead just before the break which proved to be their only shot on target in the contest.
- Despite the win, it may have come at a great cost with Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard both forced from the field with injuries that could rule them out for this game at the very least.
ITALY
- Italy produced arguably their most underwhelming performance of the tournament and they needed extra-time to overcome a dogged Austrian side despite conceding their first goal of the competition.
- It was a twelfth game in succession that the Italians were able to keep a clean sheet during the 90 minutes and while they could not break the deadlock during that period, goals from Federico Chiesa and Matteo Pessina put them in a strong position in extra-time.
- A late effort from Austria made it a nervy finish for Italy but they were able to see the game out and they will hope that they can further boost their already impressive defence with the inclusion of Giorgio Chiellini after two games on the sidelines with a thigh injury.
THE TEAM NEWS
BELGIUM
PREDICTED XI (3-4-3): Courtois; Alderweireld, Vermaelen, Vertonghen; T. Hazard, Witsel, Tielemans, Meunier; Mertens, Lukaku, Carrasco
UNAVAILABLE: Castagne (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: De Bruyne (Injured), E. Hazard (Injured)
ITALY
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Bonucci, Chiellini, Spinazzola; Barella, Jorginho, Verratti; Chiesa, Immobile, Insigne
UNAVAILABLE:
QUESTIONABLE: Chiellini (Injured), Florenzi (Injured)
THE KEY STATS
- Belgium have kept six clean sheets in their last eight EURO final tournament matches – Belgium to keep a clean sheet
- Belgium have not failed to score in their last 34 international matches. The last time was vs France in 2018 World Cup semi-finals (L 1-0) – Belgium to score
- Italy have won their last 12 international matches – Italy to win
- Italy have conceded a total of just two first half goals in their last 18 EURO final tournament matches – both of those goals were scored by Spain in the 2012 final – Italy to not concede a goal in the first half
- Italy have scored the first goal in each of their last four international matches against Belgium – they scored inside of the opening ten minutes in three of those games – Italy to score first
THE PREDICTION
Belgium’s hopes of winning EURO 2020 suffered a blow despite seeing off reigning champions Portugal in the last 16. The Belgians lost two key men to injury in the form of Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard and their participation is in doubt ahead of this clash with Italy. It was far from a vintage display from the Italians as they overcame Austria last time out but they did at least show their defensive qualities in abundance once again. Both teams appeared to be focused on not conceding in their last two matches with their respective games producing no more than two goals during the 90 minutes and that could well be the case once again with the pair cancelling one another out in a low-scoring affair.
Tip: UNDER 2.5 GOALS
For fixtures, results, TV schedule, top scorers and plenty more, visit our tournament home page here!
