Belgium vs Italy: 18 goals have been scored in the last five matches between these sides
Match facts ahead of the Euro 2016 meeting
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Your support makes all the difference.Using the Independent's dedicated Euro 2016 app, we take a look at all the key match stats ahead of Belgium vs Italy...
- Italy are unbeaten in their three games with Belgium at major tournaments (W2 D1). Two of those games were played at the European Championships (0-0 in 1980, 2-0 to Italy in 2000).
- The last five encounters between Belgium and Italy have produced 18 goals, an average of 3.6 per game.
- Belgium are taking part in their fifth European Championships, their first since 2000 when they were co-hosts.
- Belgium have qualified for the EURO for the first time since 1984 (2000 excluded, automatically qualified as co-hosts), when the finals were last played in France. They failed to make it out of the group stages.
- Belgium’s best performance in the EURO finals was in 1980 – they were runners-up after losing the final against West Germany (2-1).
- Belgium have lost five of their last seven games in the European Championships.
- However, Belgium have won their last two opening games of a EURO tournament (v Yugoslavia in 1984, v Sweden in 2000).
- Of sides to qualify, Belgium fielded the youngest squad in the EURO 2016 qualifiers at an average of 25 years and 8 months old (as of the end of the qualification period).
- Italy are taking part in their ninth European Championship finals. They have won it (1968) but have also been beaten finalists in two of the last four tournaments (2000, 2012).
- Italy were one of four teams (alongside Austria, England and Romania) to remain unbeaten in the 2016 qualifying campaign.
- Italy have only lost two of their 21 games in the group stages of the European Championships (W10 D9).
- Italy have drawn more games than any other side in EURO history (15). They have also recorded the most goalless draws (8).
- Six of Italy’s last nine goals at the EURO have been scored from set-pieces.
- Current head-coaches Marc Wilmots and Antonio Conte were in the starting line up the last time Belgium and Italy faced each other at the EURO. It was in 2000 (2-0 to Italy in the group stages).
- This is Marc Wilmots’ second major tournament as Belgium manager. He took the Red Devils to the quarter-finals in the 2014 World Cup. He also played three games with Belgium at EURO 2000 – he didn’t score.
- Antonio Conte has reached his first major tournament as Italy manager. He played three games at EURO 2000 with the Squadra Azzurra; he was an unused sub in the final.
For more stats, play-by-play commentary, comprehensive Euro 2016 news from the Independent and pre-match coverage, download Independent Euro Live 2016.
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