In the 3rd round of the UEFA A League match played on October 11th, Belgium drew with Italy with a score of 2-2. After the match, Belgium head coach Tedesco was interviewed and gave an in-depth analysis and reflection on the match.
Tedesco began by talking about how Belgium conceded a goal at the start of the match. He said that the team conceded in a confrontation and then things moved quickly as Italy started very strongly. This early goal conceded made the game very difficult for Belgium. Tedesco emphasized that conceding the ball too quickly was a big reason for the difficulty of the game.
Speaking about Doku's position on the field, Tedesco noted that Doku is a true winger when in possession, but that he needs to be more involved in the defense when he loses the ball. In a 4-3-3 formation, the wingers are positioned differently, and today Doku was in a lower position. Tedesco believes that it wasn't Doku's positional choices that led to the goal being conceded, but that the team as a whole wasn't compact enough in the game. He once again praised the performance of the Italian team, noting that they tried to create a numerical advantage in the midfield and adopted tactics with risks. However, Belgium failed to benefit from this.
Tedesco also revealed that he had already made changes to his team before Italy player Pellegrini was sent off. He mentioned that he had made some changes about five minutes before Pellegrini was shown the red card and the team started pressing higher. Tedesco particularly praised the team's second goal as a result of their set-piece training under the guidance of Luke Benstead. From then on, Belgium played well and hardly gave Italy another chance. Tedesco said that Italy would have had nothing to say if Belgium had won 3-2.
However, Tedesco also acknowledged that, overall, the Belgian team needs to do better. He emphasized that the team needs to make fewer mistakes and become stronger both physically and mentally. Tedesco's statement showed his reflection on the team's performance and his expectations for the future.
