Mancini surprises everyone: Pisilli and Koleosho start as Italy take on Belgium

BRUSSELS – Roberto Mancini springs a couple of surprise decisions: in midfield Fagioli has won the head-to-head with Doumbia, while up front the coach, who had already stunned in the morning by leaving Sebastiano Esposito out of the squad, has fielded a completely new front three, with Pisilli on the right and Koleosho on the left flanking Pio Esposito. The defence, meanwhile, is confirmed as a unit. Belgium-Italy kicks off at 8:45 pm at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, where it is raining intermittently and the temperature is around 10°. Koleosho could have played for four national teams Mancini has thus preferred to shore up the right flank with Pisilli, who is not a winger by position but whose movements toward the centre can favour the surging runs of Kayode, already devastating in Turkey-Italy. For the Roma player, who had already played a few minutes under both Spalletti and Gattuso, it is his third start after the two under interim coach Baldini. In those two matches against Luxembourg and Greece, Koleosho had also started in the eleven; Mancini has chosen him as a replacement for the injured Cambiaghi, and he is having a good season in France with Paris FC, who sit in the upper reaches of the Ligue 1 table. Koleosho was born in Norwalk, in the American state of Connecticut, to a Nigerian father and a Canadian mother of Italian origin, Melissa Vallera, who played football in the NCAA and the W-League before embarking on a coaching career. Koleosho could therefore have chosen between four different national teams: Italy picked him up from the United States Under-15s. Three "Italians" in Belgium's line-up In the Belgium side, the "Italians" De Bruyne, Moreira and De Ketelaere are confirmed, while Théate is on the bench. Van Bommel's only surprise is in midfield, where Lavia and not Raskin plays in front of the defence. Belgium (4-3-3) Lammens – Castagne, Ngoy, Mechele, De Cuyper – De Bruyne, Lavia, Tielemans – Moreira, De Ketelaere, Doko. Coach Van Bommel. Italy (4-3-3) Donnarumma – Kayode, Scalvini, Bastoni, Calafiori – Barella, Tonali, Fagioli – Pisilli, P. Esposito, Koleosho. Coach Mancini.