They were better," said Roberto Mancini, Italy's head coach, after the 4-1 loss against Belgium in the UEFA Nations League. We were too physically stressed and struggled in one-on-one battles, even though we started the game well. However, they were more successful than us."
Italy had a very good performance in the first 10 minutes, but after that they were under pressure in all parts of the pitch.
Mancini explained this drop in performance: "Yes, we couldn't cover the spaces and press properly. They got us involved. Physically, we are lacking and we definitely felt the fatigue of the game against France to a certain extent."
Mancini said about it: "Nights like this can happen. Unfortunately, on the path of progress, these things also happen, and important lessons should be learned from such competitions."
He added: "Considering the way we've gone so far, it was clear that we had a chance to advance, because we put on a good performance. However, we knew we had a tough game ahead of us. We are sad, but this evening will also be an experience.