Roberto Mancini Suffers Defeat in Italy Return as Belgium Wins Nations League Match
· Sports · Sportstar, The Straits Times, BBC Sport
Roberto Mancini's second tenure as Italy manager began with a 2-0 defeat against Belgium at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Friday night. Mancini returned to lead the national team following its failure to qualify for the FIFA World Cup earlier this year, having previously guided Italy to victory at Euro 2020. Belgium, under new manager Mark van Bommel, took the lead in the first half through Paris Saint-Germain player Mika Godts, who capitalized on defensive errors by Gianluca Mancini and Diego Coppola. Striker Dodi Lukebakio doubled the lead in the second half to secure all three points for the visitors. Italy must next travel to face Turkey on Monday before playing France in the UEFA Nations League.
Why it matters
This defeat puts early pressure on Roberto Mancini to rebuild Italy's squad following consecutive failures to reach the World Cup.
Read the original report — Sportstar
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