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Italy national football team
Nations League | Third-Place Final
Oct 10, 2021 at 2pm UK
Allianz Stadium
Belgium national football team

Italy
2 - 1
Belgium

Barella (46'), Berardi (65' pen.)
Di Lorenzo (30'), Palmieri (82')
FT(HT: 0-0)
De Ketelaere (86')
Vertonghen (14'), Witsel (56'), Alderweireld (63')

How Italy could line up against Belgium

How Italy could line up against Belgium
© Reuters
Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how Italy could line up for Sunday's Nations League clash with Belgium.

After their long unbeaten streak ended in the UEFA Nations League semi-final against Spain in midweek, Italy contest the third-place playoff with Belgium on Sunday afternoon, and several changes could be made to the Azzurri XI.

Head coach Roberto Mancini will rotate his resources amid a punishing schedule at club and international level, so 21-year-old forward Giacomo Raspadori - who finally made his full debut last month - may replace Federico Bernardeschi up front; providing a more conventional striker to occupy the often shaky Belgian defence.

Though Bernardeschi's Juventus colleague Moise Kean is another contender to start, he picked up a knock on Wednesday and was subsequently withdrawn from training, so his fitness is in doubt.

The hosts in Turin will certainly be without centre-back Leonardo Bonucci, who misses out on representing Italy at his home stadium following a first-half dismissal in the semi-final.

Therefore, Mancini could call upon the ever dependable veteran Giorgio Chiellini to partner Inter's Alessandro Bastoni at the heart of the defence, though Francesco Acerbi offers an alternative option.

Should the former Manchester City manager opt for further fresh legs after playing with 10 men for the second half against Spain, then Federico Dimarco and Manuel Locatelli may be considered for a start, while Giovanni Di Lorenzo hopes to hold off competition from Milan's Davide Calabria at right-back.

Despite being stung by boos from the jilted Milan tifosi at San Siro, following his controversial departure for PSG, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is set to keep his place as the Azzurri's last line of defence.

Italy possible starting lineup: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Acerbi, Bastoni, Dimarco; Barella, Locatelli, Pellegrini; Chiesa, Raspadori, Berardi

> Click here to see how Belgium could line up for Sunday's Nations League encounter

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How you voted: Italy vs Belgium

Italy
56.7%
Draw
16.4%
Belgium
26.9%
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Italy's Gianluigi Donnarumma celebrates as his team beat England to win Euro 2020 on July 11, 2021
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