Van Bommel ‘100% happy and satisfied’ after winning start to Belgium reign

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Mark van Bommel said he was “100% happy and satisfied” after marking his first match as Belgium boss with a 2-0 victory over Italy.

Mika Godts opened the scoring at Stadio Olimpico after 20 minutes, while Dodi Lukebakio secured all three points in their Nations League opener with a stunning curler after the hour mark.

It marked Italy’s second defeat on home soil while conceding at least two goals and scoring none in the last 40 years, following their 2-0 loss to Croatia in August 2006.

Belgium particularly dominated in the first half, where they accumulated 2.39 expected goals (xG) from 14 attempts while restricting Italy to 0.32 from five shots.

Gianluigi Donnarumma pulled off impressive saves to deny Godts, Charles De Ketelaere and Nicolas Raskin from adding a second before the break, though his efforts proved in vain after Lukebakio’s strike.

Subsequently, Belgium defeated Italy for the first time in a competitive match since May 1972.

“I am 100% happy and satisfied, although of course one can always improve too,” said Van Bommel in his press conference.

The perfect start to our Nations League. #ScoredWithING pic.twitter.com/wVlSKNWEXG

— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) September 25, 2026

“We started work on Monday with the right hunger and intensity that we also saw on the field.

“We worked on this 4-3-3 system for three days, it wasn’t a top performance, but we controlled the first half very well.

“Italy pressed us better after the break and Senne Lammens made an incredible save. With the changes, we regained control of the match and Lukebakio’s wonderful goal sealed it, just like he did at San Siro against Milan.

“We don’t just have 11 starters, everyone can make the difference. Some players didn’t have 90 minutes in their legs.

“Godts had an extraordinary performance, I told him to always try to run at players and make something happen.

“It is difficult to keep up this tempo for 90 minutes, especially at international level, but we hope to keep it going for as long as possible.”

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