De Ketelaere: Facing Atalanta Teammate Scalvini Will Be Nice

Belgium will host Italy in Brussels in a decisive Nations League A Group 1 match. Belgium must win to advance to the quarter-finals, while a draw will be enough for Mancini's team. The match kicks off at 20:45 CET.

Italy moved to the top of the group after beating France 3-1 at San Siro. De Ketelaere said Italy did not surprise him, that they have strong players and have developed mentally. He stressed that Italy had beaten Turkey twice and that the win over France had given the squad great confidence.

De Ketelaere scored and played as a false nine in the return match against Turkey on Thursday, which Belgium won 2-1 in Izmir. He reminded that Scalvini, whom he will face, has played in a back four for Italy. He said Scalvini has mostly played in a back three but has also shown he is strong in a back four. He added that since they are friends, facing him will be nice.

The former Milan forward also explained that his role differs between Belgium and Atalanta. He said that at Atalanta, Maurizio Sarri uses him behind Nikola Krstović, while with Belgium he plays more like a traditional centre-forward. At Atalanta, he said, he moves more like a number 10, touches the ball more often and tries to create chances. He also said that as a goalscorer, he enjoys scoring goals.