Belgium 3-1 Italy: Azzurri beaten by fierce Belgium

Date: 13th November 2015 at 10:51pm
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Candreva ItalyOn a cold night in Brussels, the Azzurri fell to a 3-1 defeat to Belgium in the King Bedouin stadium on Friday.

Italy took the lead in the match after just two minutes through Antonio Candreva. However, 10 minutes later, following some poor marking Belgium were level thanks to a Jan Vertonghen header. In the 74th minute gave the Belgians a deserved lead. Five minutes later Michy Batshuayi added to the Azzurri’s misery.

The Azzurri made a lightning start to the game and opened the scoring in the second minute. Alessandro Florenzi ran at Jan Vertonghen before firing in a low cross into Graziano Pelle, who drove a shot at Simon Mignolet, which the Liverpool goalkeeper palmed straight to the incoming Antonio Candreva, who tapped in from two yards out.  

Candreva was causing his former Lazio teammate Luis Pedro Cavanda all sorts of problems, and in the 10th minute he skipped past the Belgian before lashing a wicked shot, but Simon Mignolet stood tall and made a fine save.

However, just two minutes later Belgium were level. A corner was swung outwards by Kevin De Bruyne towards the unmarked Vertonghen who stooped low to equalise for the Belgians.

Over the next 20 minutes the game settled down as the Azzurri’s rigid formation stifled the likes of De Bruyne and Eden Hazard as the half ended level.

At the beginning of the second-half Belgium were dominating. Radja Nainggolan curled in a dipping cross into Lukaku, the Everton forward out-muscled Chiellini stooped low and guided his header onto the post.

Despite being on the back-foot the Azzurri almost took the lead. Substitute Roberto Soriano’s low cross was hit goalwards by Eder but it his effort struck the bar, before rebounding back to Eder, yet he could only flick his header over the bar.

In the 74th minute Belgium took a deserved lead. Bonucci gave the ball away straight to Hazard, who fed a pass to Michy Batshuayi whose unexpected effort struck Gianluigi Buffon in the chest. The ball rebounded to De Bruyne who scooped his shot over Buffon and into the net.

Five minutes later Belgium scored a third through Batshuayi. Yannick Ferreira Carrasco slipped in the Marseille striker who lashed his shot past Buffon.

 

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