Belgium vs Italy

At the Stade de Tourbillon in Sion, Belgium Women and Italy Women will kick off Group B action in a thrilling Women’s Euro 2025 encounter on Thursday.

The Belgian Red Flames are gearing up for their third straight Euros appearance, while Italy’s Le Azzurre are set to compete in their eighth consecutive tournament.

Belgium secured their spot in Switzerland through the playoffs, having placed third in their qualifying group behind Denmark and Spain. They comfortably dispatched Greece with a 5-0 aggregate score in the first round and followed it up with a commanding 4-1 victory over Ukraine across two legs, earning their place in a challenging group alongside Spain, Portugal, and Italy.

The Red Flames struggled in their 2017 Euros debut, exiting in the group stage, but bounced back in 2022, earning four points from three matches to advance to the quarter-finals. A notable 1-0 win over Italy during that campaign could serve as motivation for this week’s matchup.

Belgium’s form in 2025 has been inconsistent, with six points from six Nations League matches, landing them in the relegation playoff spot. Their tournament preparations included a heavy loss to France but also a 2-0 victory against Greece. They’ll aim to secure only their second-ever Euros win in this opening match.

Meanwhile, Italy bypassed the playoffs by topping Group A1 in qualifying, posting two wins, three draws, and one loss against tough competition from the Netherlands, Norway, and Finland.

Le Azzurre are determined to break a streak of two consecutive group-stage exits, having failed to advance since 2013. In 2017, they finished bottom of their group with three points, and in 2022, they managed just one point, again finishing last.

Italy’s recent Nations League performance was solid, with three wins, one draw, and two losses, securing second place in their group. Coming off two victories in their last three games, they’re eager to claim their first Euros match win since defeating England 2-1 in 2009.