"Droomstart" was the headline in one of Brussels' Flemish newspapers on Monday morning following Belgium's edgy 2-1 victory over Sweden in the capital on Saturday night. But while the notoriously sceptical Italian press were always unlikely to be so effusive about Italy's 2-1 defeat of Turkey in Arnhem, Italy too awoke on Monday with a fair degree of contentment.
The Turkey fixture had a dangerous feel to it for the Italians but now that it has been overcome, Dino Zoff's team should enforce its alleged superiority against a limited Belgium side, even one buoyed by its new national celebrity.
On Sunday, a Belgium XI featuring Saturday's substitutes played a local fourth division club and attracted an audience of around 3,000. This level of popularity is previously unheard of. Such events, while not significant in themselves, can add a sense of momentum, and then there is the fact that when these two last met, in Italy in November, Belgium won 3-1.
All Belgium's goals came from the air that night but Alessandro Nesta, the Lazio centrehalf, was missing. He will be present tonight, though as Zoff said of the Turkey match: "We have fairly small defenders and they missed a few of the high crosses." Belgium's attacking ploy should be straight-forward, yet a player like Marc Wilmots will not be satisfied with merely pumping in high centres.
Much has been made of Italy's striking options but Zoff is sure to persevere with Filippo Inzaghi and Francesco Totti. If the game is not drawn, whoever wins is well-placed to finish top of the group and meet the runners-up of England's group in the quarter-finals.
