Levi Rothermund
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Italy host Belgium in the UEFA Nations League on Friday 25 September 2026, and the predicted lineups here are shaped as much by who is missing as by who is picked. With Belgium’s team news already carrying a notable absence up front, the bigger selection question is how each coach fills the gaps rather than who starts among the regulars. Both sides’ expected XIs below are built from squad information rather than a settled run of recent matches, so treat them as a starting point for discussion, not a confirmed team sheet.
Predicted Italy Line-up
Italy are projected here in a 4-2-3-1, though that shape is a default rather than something we can tie to a specific coach’s stated preference. As the data notes make clear, we have no readable recent line-ups for them, so this selection leans on squad information rather than a run of recent starts. Gianluigi Donnarumma is picked in goal and Matteo Politano leads the line, with the rest of the XI filled out by regulars who would typically expect involvement, in the absence of any start-rate evidence to differentiate them. Given the lack of match-by-match data, this predicted line-up should be read as an informed squad-based estimate rather than a confident forecast.
Italy predicted XI: Gianluigi Donnarumma; Marco Palestra, Federico Dimarco, Leonardo Spinazzola, Alessandro Buongiorno; Manuel Locatelli, Sandro Tonali, Niccolò Pisilli, Bryan Cristante, Davide Frattesi; Matteo Politano
| Line | # | Player | Starts in last 0 | Last 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 1 | Gianluigi Donnarumma | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| D | 2 | Marco Palestra | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| D | 3 | Federico Dimarco | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| D | 4 | Leonardo Spinazzola | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| D | 6 | Alessandro Buongiorno | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| M | 5 | Manuel Locatelli | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| M | 8 | Sandro Tonali | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| M | 14 | Niccolò Pisilli | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| M | 16 | Bryan Cristante | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| M | 17 | Davide Frattesi | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| F | 7 | Matteo Politano | 0/0 | 0/0 |
Belgium Predicted XI
Belgium are also set out in a 4-2-3-1 by default, since no formation data exists to attribute the shape to the coaching staff. The same caveat applies as with Italy: we have no readable recent line-ups for them, so this expected XI is drawn from the squad list rather than observed starting patterns. Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku anchor the group in midfield and attack respectively, chosen as the type of senior players a squad-based projection would prioritise when recent-match evidence is unavailable. As with Italy, this is best treated as a working estimate that the eventual team announcement could easily reshape.
Belgium predicted XI: Maarten Vandevoordt; Zeno Debast, Arthur Theate, Brandon Mechele, Maxim De Cuyper; Kevin De Bruyne, Youri Tielemans, Diego Moreira, Hans Vanaken, Nicolas Raskin; Romelu Lukaku
| Line | # | Player | Starts in last 0 | Last 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 12 | Maarten Vandevoordt | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| D | 2 | Zeno Debast | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| D | 3 | Arthur Theate | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| D | 4 | Brandon Mechele | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| D | 5 | Maxim De Cuyper | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| M | 7 | Kevin De Bruyne | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| M | 8 | Youri Tielemans | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| M | 19 | Diego Moreira | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| M | 20 | Hans Vanaken | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| M | 23 | Nicolas Raskin | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| F | 9 | Romelu Lukaku | 0/0 | 0/0 |
Injuries and Suspensions
On the home side, no absentees are recorded in the data, so Italy’s team news going into this one is effectively clean as far as our records show, leaving the full projected group available for selection. Without any confirmed gaps to fill, bench options such as Mateo Retegui and Nicolò Barella remain the most likely names to be considered for changes, though there is nothing in the data to suggest they are pushing for a guaranteed recall.
For Belgium, Leandro Trossard is out injured, thinning the forward options available to the coaching staff for this fixture. With Trossard sidelined, Loïs Openda is the bench forward best placed to step into that attacking role if a change is made from the group already projected to start.
How We Predict These XIs
These projections are normally built from each side’s most recent line-ups, weighting the newest matches more heavily than older ones, with any player confirmed injured or suspended removed from selection. For this fixture, neither Italy nor Belgium had readable recent line-ups within the lookback window, so both predicted line-ups instead rely on squad composition alone rather than observed starting habits. That means this projection is inherently provisional and will be superseded the moment the official team news for each side is confirmed.
Read Also: Italy vs Belgium Prediction: 25.09.2026 UEFA Nations League 2026/27
FAQ
Who is predicted to start in goal for Italy vs Belgium?
Gianluigi Donnarumma is projected in goal for Italy, while Maarten Vandevoordt is the pick between the posts for Belgium.
What formation are Italy and Belgium expected to line up in?
Both sides are shown here in a 4-2-3-1, though this is a default shape used in the absence of formation data rather than a confirmed tactical setup from either coaching staff.
Who is unavailable for Italy vs Belgium?
No absentees are recorded for Italy in the data, while Belgium are without Leandro Trossard, who is out injured.
When is Italy vs Belgium?
The UEFA Nations League fixture between Italy and Belgium kicks off on Friday 25 September 2026.