Mancini: Italy's first half against Belgium fell short, but the second was superior
Roberto Mancini acknowledged the first half of Italy's match against Belgium was "below expectations." However, he insisted the team "did really well" in the second half, despite the 2-0 defeat. "When you lose, you can get jeered," Mancini stated.
Mancini, aiming for a strong start to his second tenure with the Azzurri, faces an uphill battle in the Nations League following this home loss to Belgium. While the second half showed improvements, Dodi Lukebakio scored on a counter-attack after Mika Godts opened the scoring.
"Belgium played better in the first half, we took the initiative in the second and could’ve equalised, but we conceded on a counter-attack due to our error. This is football," Mancini told RAI Sport. "The first half was below expectations, as Belgium played better, but the second half was not. The team performed well until the second goal; we had four or five chances to equalize, we pinned them back, but Belgium are a strong side."
Mancini, who previously took over a squad struggling after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, now leads a team that has missed three consecutive editions of the tournament. The frustration was evident among the fans, who booed both at halftime and the final whistle.
“When we lose, nobody is happy. When you lose, you can get jeered,” Mancini admitted.
Alessandro Romano made his debut for Italy, having switched his international allegiance from Switzerland. Momo Zoma and Issa Doumbia also earned their first senior caps late in the game.
In Group A of the Nations League, France secured a 1-0 away victory against Turkiye. Italy currently sits at the bottom of the group on goal difference.
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