Italy vs Belgium prediction 10.10.2024 | Nations League

• Competition: UEFA Nations League
• Date: Thursday, 10th October, 2024
• Kickoff: 19:45 UK / 20:45 CEST
• Venue: Stadio Olimpico (Rome)

Italy, one of the European football juggernauts, had a terrible EURO 2024. Switzerland eliminated them in the 1/8 Finals, and considering they were the reigning champs, it was a massive disaster. But even more disappointing were their performances. Still, Spalleti's squad bounced back with excellent performances in the UEFA Nations League, winning both games against France and Israel and holding the top spot. Even though many football pundits agree that Italy is going through some kind of transition period, we still believe they are among the best teams in Europe, capable of winning against anyone, especially at home.

Belgium are one of the teams that everyone has high expectations for, but they are still without a major trophy. Like Italy, Belgium had a disappointing EURO and finished the competition in the 1/8 Finals after France had eliminated them. In the UEFA Nations League, they won one and lost one game and are currently in 3rd place - on a level with points with second-placed France. With a potential loss, they would massively complicate their situation, and progressing to the next stage would be a massive challenge.

Italy vs Belgium pick: Italy to win

Italy won back-to-back games against France and Israel, scoring five goals. Considering that offense was a significant problem for them, these five goals are a massive step forward. To be fair, a 2:1 win over Israel isn't really an impressive result, but a 3:1 against France in Paris definitely is. Also, at home, Italy was excellent in recent games, winning eight out of the last ten matches.

Belgium had a disappointing game against France, where they lost 2:0 and were totally dominated. Even though they have amazing players, the impression is that they simply aren't good enough to compete with the very best team in the World or Europe. Now, for this game, they will be without two big starts, De Bruyne and Lukaku, and it is hard to expect a positive result without them.

In the previous three h2h games, Italy won all three times. Considering the trend in their h2h games and all the above, we believe Italy are much closer to winning the upcoming UEFA Nations League game.