Belgium hosts Italy this Thursday in a extremely significant match for both parties. Why? Itlay sits first in UNL group A, while the Belgians are third and need three points to attack one of the top two places. Let us remind you that there is only this match and one more match before the end of the group stage.
Belgium vs. Italy Preview
Belgium
The Belgian squad is in a bit of a rough patch, with just four points from their four matches. They lag behind the French with a five-point deficit and trail Italy by six points. Therefore, they simply need to win the event against Azzurri.
Compounding their troubles, the Belgians are winless in their last three encounters, suffering two losses and managing a single draw. Their defense has been shaky, conceding two goals per game in each of these matchups. Meanwhile, we aren’t seeing their attack terrorize the rivals’ defenses like it did in the past. There is a notable drop in productivity and efficiency.
Once, one of the most gifted teams in the world is slowly fading away, and their troubles aren’t anything odd considering that Belgium’s biggest stars are way past their peak. They haven’t got too much time left, and the next two or three years will include their last chances to make something notable and reach some silverware.
Italy
The Italians, on the other hand, have been quite impressive, remaining unbeaten in their last four outings with three victories and a draw. Few expected to see the Azzurri in such a good rhythm, particularly following a mediocre performance at the recent EURO in Germany. However, Luciano Spalletti’s unit rose after those failures and started the next cycle with style.
Expected Italy starting XI v Belgium. #Azzurri
[GdS] pic.twitter.com/btVfwD8EA5
— Italian Football News 🇮🇹 (@footitalia1) November 13, 2024
Contrary to their previous defensive style, Italy’s recent games have been thrilling and highly efficient. Each of these matches has seen over 2.5 goals scored, which is a significant departure from the traditional Italian approach, where low-scoring games were common.
Since the conclusion of the 2024 EURO, Italy’s attack has been in fine form, consistently scoring two goals in every match. This is all due to Spalletti and his style of play. The Italian manager has been one of the pioneers in this country in moving away from defensive-minded, oriented football and embracing a high-paced, attacking approach.
Belgium vs. Italy Head to Head
When Belgium and Italy first locked horns on October 10, it ended in a lively, with a 2-2 draw. Prior to this meeting, the Italians had bested the Devils in three consecutive encounters from 2016 to 2021, scoring at least twice in each of these victories. So we can say here that Azzurri like playing against this particular opponent.
Belgium vs. Italy Prediction
There’s no need to explain why Belgium has to be aggressive and very sharp right from the start. Only a win in this one works for them, meaning that the Devils must attack and impose their own tempo early on. Now, knowing that they don’t have such a strong defense, this will leave plenty of space for the Italians to strike back. And the current Italy team knows how to do that pretty well.
Belgium’s attack definitely has enough power to score at least once, if not more. This is due to their quality and the fact that Italy’s defense isn’t as vigorous as before but is more fluid and has certain assignments in the offense, which often leads to them conceding.
This led to our decision to pick both teams to score. After considering all the possible factors, that’s the best betting pick for this event. Simply, the context of the game and the fact that offenses are better than defenses are enough for us to make this decision.
Here is the link to more odds for not only this one but other UNL games.
