Mancini: Italy played much better in first 25 minutes of second half

After Italy suffered a 0-2 home defeat against Belgium in the first round of the UEFA Nations League group stage, national team head coach Mancini was interviewed by the official Italian Football Federation.

Coach, after a difficult first half, we saw a change in the team's attitude, a much more aggressive Italy. Would you say the 0-2 deficit dealt us a heavy blow?

Yes, we definitely struggled in the first half because they played better than us. But the opponent is a very good team, so we knew they would cause us significant difficulties. In the first 25 minutes of the second half, we played much better, but then we made a mistake, leaving our defense too exposed against their counter-attack, and the subsequent third goal completely sealed the defeat. However, overall, the second-half performance was good, so that's a positive for the team.

You previously asked the team to maintain more balance, and it's clear that as the formation moved forward as a whole, the defense became slightly exposed. As you mentioned, the third goal subsequently killed the game, right?

No, we made a mistake there: our defense was too exposed at that moment. But the game was only in the 65th minute, so we actually had enough time to score an equalizer. We had hoped to be more cautious and focused.

Looking at the positives, besides the strong second-half comeback, what did you like most about tonight?

Some young players were making only their second appearance for the national team because they had accumulated very little playing time previously, like Cambiaghi, who played well. Most importantly, the attitude in the second half: we pressed high, pinned the opponent in their half for the first 25 minutes, and created several chances. That's a good sign.

We're at the beginning of a new journey, and fortunately, the schedule is tight with short intervals between matches. Does your focus immediately shift to Monday's match against Turkey?

Yes, absolutely. This game is behind us now. We must focus on the match against Turkey and strive for a satisfactory result.

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