Van Bommel: ‘Belgium play good football first, but Italy underestimated’

PORTO, PORTUGAL - NOVEMBER 07: Mark van Bommel, Head Coach of Royal Antwerp, looks on prior to the UEFA Champions League match between FC Porto and Royal Antwerp FC at Estadio do Dragao on November 07, 2023 in Porto, Portugal. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)

Belgium coach Mark van Bommel explains his choices against Italy, warning the Azzurri are ‘underestimated’ even though he is no fan of their football. ‘The way they play basically doesn’t matter.’

It kicks off at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.

The Nazionale scenario seemed to be all doom and gloom after opening this Nations League group with a 2-0 home defeat to Belgium on September 25.

However, they have since surged to top spot by beating Turkiye twice, drawing 1-1 in Paris, then beating France 3-1 at San Siro on Thursday.

It means they need only a point here to be sure of qualification for the quarter-finals, and Belgium fully expect an old-school Italy defensive approach.

Van Bommel confident for Belgium-Italy

“I played in Italy myself, and if we won 1-0 there with very poor football, they were still on their feet to cheer us. That is the mentality,” former Milan midfielder Van Bommel told HLN.

“They have to win, but the way they do it basically doesn’t matter. We always want to play very good football. That’s where it starts for me, because then the chance of winning is greater if we play well first.”

However, when the Belgian media is too dismissive of the Italy squad, the coach does step in to give a warning.

“That dismisses Italy as a mediocre team. It is true they have missed three World Cup editions in a row, but historically, it is a great footballing nation. They really have a good squad, considering the development they have made since that first match.

“They are underestimated. We don’t need to be afraid, but they are not a bad opponent by any means.”

Romelu Lukaku missed the trip to Turkiye on Thursday, where they won 2-1, but the former Napoli striker is back on the bench tonight, as Atalanta forward Charles De Ketelaere keeps his place.

Is it because Big Rom can be used as a valuable boost off the bench?

“Lukaku has been doing that for quite some time, including before the World Cup. He decided many matches and scored goals,” added Van Bommel.

“Charles is doing very well. He is a modern striker. A big, strong, fast, and ball-holding striker, you see that more and more often. But that doesn’t mean Romelu couldn’t have started, mind you.”