UNL | Belgium 4-1 Italy: Poor Azzurri crash back to earth in Brussels

Italy had gone in front through Pio Esposito, but crumbled in Brussels to a 4-1 defeat against Belgium and their Nations League campaign ends here with third place, missing another penalty in the process.

The Azzurri started Roberto Mancini’s second era with a 2-0 home defeat to Belgium on September 25, but seven weeks later were top of the group after a 1-1 draw in Paris and 3-1 victory over France on Thursday, needing only a point to be sure of quarter-final qualification. Sebastiano Esposito, Davide Frattesi and Nicolò Cambiaghi started at San Siro, but were out of action here, so Luca Koleosho and Niccolò Pisilli stepped into the trident attack, while Niccolò Fagioli entered the midfield.

Belgium had Romelu Lukaku back on the bench after injury ruled him out of the 2-1 win in Turkiye, and Romeo Lavia’s ban expired, but started Atalanta striker Charles De Ketelaere and Milan’s Diego Moreira, with Napoli midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Italy had a big double chance on seven minutes, as Sam Lammens got down at the near post to parry Fagioli’s finish on a Riccardo Calafiori lay-off, and parried the Pisilli follow-up from close range too.

Gianluigi Donnarumma made a crucial save on the De Bruyne free kick and the mad scramble in the six-yard box from Brandon Mechele and Nathan Ngoy, then as the Azzurri cleared to go on the counter, they took the lead with Pio Esposito at full stretch between two defenders to prod in the Michael Kayode low cross from the right. It was the 21-year-old’s 10th goal in just 15 senior caps.

Belgium equalised when De Bruyne’s strike from the edge of the box was deflected into the path of Timothy Castagne at the back post, De Ketelaere scuffed it from six yards, but it fell kindly for Maxim De Cuyper to turn in.

The hosts turned it around on their first corner of the game from De Bruyne, as Donnarumma parried the Mechele header, but could do little as Ngoy fired the rebound into the roof of the net from five yards.

They surged into a 3-1 lead within minutes, as De Ketelaere’s back-heel flick found Jeremy Doku on the edge of the area, who dribbled through a crowd of Italy shirts to fire into the far bottom corner, despite Donnarumma getting a hand to it.

Donnarumma made himself big at the near post to deny De Bruyne after a strong run down the left, then was at full stretch on the Doku effort from distance.

Alessandro Bastoni’s horrible pass inside his own penalty area gifted it to De Bruyne, but Donnarumma came to his rescue by somehow palming it onto the inside of the far post from point-blank range.

Milan’s Diego Moreira flashed a ball across the face of goal with nobody to tap in, while Pisilli’s header swung just wide on a Sandro Tonali cross.

Federico Dimarco and Issa Doumbia had been tipped to start, and came on for the second half in place of Fagioli and Pisilli, with Doumbia almost immediately seeing his effort deflected over from a Luca Koleosho cross.

Dimarco also had an attempt charged down and Bastoni got back to prevent the Doku counter-attack on the same move, while De Bruyne drilled inches wide from the edge of the box.

De Ketelaere’s header clipped the top of the crossbar on another corner, while Milan talent Alphadjo Cisse was given his senior Italy debut.

Donnarumma denied De Bruyne again after running onto a lucky Doumbia ricochet, with Pio Esposito helping the defence on the Youri Tielemans overhead kick from another corner.

De Cuyper had penalty appeals, but stopped to appeal the moment he felt a Bastoni arm across him rather than go clear on goal, wasting the opportunity.

Milan winger Moreira’s curler was just wide of the far post, but just as Italy had penalty appeals for an Antonio Vergara shot charged down by Mechele’s arm, Belgium struck on the counter with De Bruyne laying it off for Moreira.

Donnarumma was booked for dissent and will be suspended for the next Azzurri match, but Mechele’s arm was flush to the body, so it was not a penalty.

Cisse couldn’t keep the header on target from a Marco Palestra cross, then the debutant also curled just wide of the far top corner, but VAR saw this was due to a deflection off Raskin’s hand. Pio Esposito stepped up, but his central penalty was parried by Lammens, with Doumbia firing the rebound over.

Doumbia also had the ball in the net for the last kick of the game, but was a long way offside.

P Esposito 11 (I), De Cuyper 15 (B), Ngoy 22 (B), Doku 26 (B), Moreira 81 (B)

Saved penalty: Pio Esposito 92 (I)

	15-11-2026 19:45
Matchday 6
King Baudouin Stadium
Belgium	Italy
Live	4 - 1

1st half

2nd half

		51'		Giorgio Scalvini
Diego Moreira (Assist: Kevin De Bruyne)		80'
		81'		Gianluigi Donnarumma
		90+1'		Pio Esposito

1		Senne Lammens	Goalkeeper
4		Brandon Mechele	Defender
5		Maxim De Cuyper	Defender
15		Nathan Ngoy	Defender	87'
21		Timothy Castagne	Defender
7		Kevin De Bruyne	Midfielder	87'
6		Roméo Lavia	Midfielder	76'
8		Youri Tielemans	Midfielder
17		Charles De Ketelaere	Attacker
19		Diego Moreira	Attacker	87'
11		Jérémy Doku	Attacker	90'
1		Gianluigi Donnarumma	Goalkeeper
6		Alessandro Bastoni	Defender
3		Giorgio Scalvini	Defender	62'
2		Michael Kayode	Defender
5		Riccardo Calafiori	Defender
16		Niccolò Pisilli	Midfielder	46'
18		Nicolò Barella	Midfielder
10		Nicolò Fagioli	Midfielder	46'
8		Sandro Tonali	Midfielder	62'
9		Pio Esposito	Attacker
23		Luca Koleosho	Attacker	76'
9		Romelu Lukaku	Attacker
20		Hans Vanaken	Midfielder
12		Maarten Vandevoordt	Goalkeeper
9		Hugo Cuypers	Attacker
2		Kyriani Sabbe	Defender
13		Mike Penders	Goalkeeper
18		Joaquin Seys	Defender
23		Nicolas Raskin	Midfielder	76'
3		Arthur Theate	Defender	87'
10		Leandro Trossard	Attacker	87'
14		Dodi Lukébakio	Attacker	87'
22		Mika Godts	Attacker	90'
13		Guglielmo Vicario	Goalkeeper
20		Gianluca Scamacca	Attacker
12		Marco Carnesecchi	Goalkeeper
22		Daniele Ghilardi	Defender
4		Honest Ahanor	Defender
19		Mattia Liberali	Midfielder
17		Alessandro Romano	Midfielder
11		Federico Dimarco	Defender	46'
15		Issa Doumbia	Midfielder	46'
7		Alphadjo Cissè	Attacker	62'
14		Marco Palestra	Defender	62'
21		Antonio Vergara	Midfielder	76'