Belgium Beat Italy 2-0 as Godts and Lukebakio Strike in Van Bommel Debut

Belgium opened their campaign with an emphatic 2-0 victory over Italy at the Stadio Olimpico, with Godts and substitute Dodi Lukebakio scoring in Rome to hand new coach Van Bommel an ideal first result.

Key takeaways

• Godts gave Belgium an early lead with a composed low finish.
• Lukebakio sealed the result after coming on as a substitute, scoring on a counter-attack.
• Italy suffered only their second home loss in 40 years in which they failed to score while conceding at least two goals.
• Gianluigi Donnarumma made several important saves to keep the margin of defeat down.
• Belgium host France on Monday, September 28, while Italy face Turkiye in their next match.

Belgium control Rome as Godts praises De Bruyne

Belgium imposed themselves from the opening stages against an uncertain Italian defence. Godts converted neatly to establish the visitors’ advantage, before Lukebakio finished the job late on as Belgium broke forward.

The scoreline reflected Belgium’s authority, particularly through midfield, where Italy struggled to contain the visitors or build sustained attacks of their own. Donnarumma’s interventions prevented the Azzurri from suffering a heavier defeat, but Belgium remained in charge for much of the contest.

Godts said Belgium had created numerous openings during the first half and enjoyed the freedom offered by their attacking options. He singled out Kevin De Bruyne for the quality of his distribution, describing the midfielder’s passing as outstanding.

Despite the convincing display, the Paris Saint-Germain forward stressed that Belgium cannot afford to relax with another fixture arriving within three days. “We must remain humble,” he said.

Contrasting starts for Van Bommel and Mancini

The result gave Van Bommel a winning beginning following his appointment as Belgium manager. His side’s attacking quality and control in the centre of the pitch exposed the scale of Italy’s problems on a difficult night in the capital.

For Roberto Mancini, it was an unhappy start to his second spell in charge of Italy. Mancini returned to the role in July after replacing Gennaro Gattuso, but his team now need a swift response after a historically rare home defeat.

Belgium next welcome France on Monday, September 28, in a major test of their early momentum. Italy must quickly reset before a demanding meeting with Turkiye, with both teams facing a short turnaround after the Rome match.