Belgium coach Tedesco pleased with team's comeback to secure draw against Italy

Andrea Cambiaso and Mateo Retegui put Italy 2-0 up in Rome, but a red card for Lorenzo Pellegrini turned the tide in favor of Belgium. The Belgians mounted a comeback with goals from Maxim De Cuyper and Leandro Trossard to secure a 2-2 draw.

Tedesco later said, "Italy started very strong and it is not easy for any team to react after conceding that early.

“They showed confidence, even more after that goal, and we struggled to get into the game after a bad start. We followed the plan when we had the ball, but suffered when not in possession.

“They were pushing down the central zone, with effectively a 3-6-1 formation, so we had to press both Samuele Ricci and Alessandro Bastoni. You can only do that when the team stays tight.

“That was our problem, and their brilliant cross-field passes like the second goal were difficult to defend against. Admittedly, the red card helped us a lot.”

On Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku's performance, Tedesco added: “We wanted to have more of the ball.

“Everyone knows he loves to play on the left and cut inside on his right foot, but by playing on the right, we wanted to keep him on his stronger foot and make it more difficult to block him off.

“We had already changed the tactics even before the red card, pressing higher, and that is what led to the situation by being aggressive and winning it back.”