Belgium must win at Stade Roi Baudouin against Italy in UEFA Nations League Matchweek 6
Belgium host Italy at Stade Roi Baudouin in Brussels on Monday, November 16 in Matchweek 6 of UEFA Nations League A, with the hosts needing a win to advance to the championship stage while Italy require a draw to qualify for the quarterfinals; kick-off is scheduled for 1:15 a.m. IST.
Belgium arrive off a 2-1 victory over Turkiye in their previous game, with Kevin De Bruyne and Charles De Ketelaere on the scoresheet, and sit in a position where their worst possible finish in Group 1 is third, meaning they cannot be directly relegated; a draw will not be sufficient for qualification because they are behind France on head-to-head. Mark van Bommel is the new Belgium head coach, and Belgium’s recent form across all competitions reads W-L-W-L-W.
Italy are unbeaten in their last four matches and beat France 3-1 in their most recent outing; their sole group-stage loss came against Belgium, who won the reverse fixture 2-0 in Rome. Roberto Mancini remains in charge, and Italy’s results in all competitions are listed as W-W-D-W-L. For Italy, a draw will secure progression to the next stage, while a win is required to finish top of the group.
Belgium’s expected lineup is Senne Lammens (GK); Timothy Castagne, Nathan Ngoy, Brandon Mechele, Maxim De Cuyper; Kevin De Bruyne, Nicolas Raskin, Youri Tielemans; Diego Moreira, Charles De Ketelaere, Jérémy Doku, with Romelu Lukaku injured and doubtful. Italy’s projected XI is Gianluigi Donnarumma (GK); Riccardo Calafiori, Alessandro Bastoni, Giorgio Scalvini, Michael Kayode; Nicolò Barella, Sandro Tonali, Davide Frattesi; Nicolò Cambiaghi, Francesco Pio Esposito, Sebastiano Esposito, and the visitors have no injury concerns or suspensions for the match.
Timothy Castagne has started every Nations League game for Belgium and has played over 450 minutes; Belgium will look to his accelerated overlapping runs to supply Kevin De Bruyne and Charles De Ketelaere in attack. Italy frequently use their left flank in transition, with Riccardo Calafiori and Nicolò Cambiaghi noted for their attacking runs down that side.
Sandro Tonali is described in the preview as standing as a commanding presence in Italy’s midfield. The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has played all five games for Italy in the Nations League. Belgium will rely on Kevin De Bruyne’s creativity and Youri Tielemans’ composure, while Tonali’s physicality and pressing intensity are expected to be important in disrupting supply lines to Jérémy Doku and in managing the tempo when a draw suffices for Italy.
The preview predicts a draw, suggesting Jérémy Doku may give the hosts an early lead and Mancini’s side will equalise to end the match level. Broadcasters and streaming options include Sony Sports Network and SonyLIV in India, NOVA Greece and Alpha TV in Greece, FOX Sports, FuboTV and ViX in the USA, and Prime Video in the UK; the match will be played at Stade Roi Baudouin in Brussels on Monday, November 16 at 1:15 a.m. IST.