The Arnold Clark Cup 2023 started off brightly at Stadium MK as Italy and Belgium took centre stage in the opening game of the tournament with Belgium taking the first win of the day in a 2-1 win over Italy.
The match was a tale of two halves as the sides dominated a half each and it is fair to say, that was reflected fairly in the full-time result.
A strong start from Italy saw them go close in the opening few minutes but it didn't last long as Belgium took the lead through Marie Deltruyer in the 15th minute and continued to look dangerous throughout the first half.
Although Belgium controlled possession for most of the first 45 minutes, Italy didn't make it too easy for them as they battled for the ball throughout - making it an exciting start to the 2023 invitational tournament.
After Ives Serneels' side controlled the opening stages, Italy were awarded two free kicks in the closing stages of the first-half but they couldn't make the most of either opportunity and went into the break trailing 1-0.
Italy came out stronger in the second half and it was clear it would be a long 45 minutes for Belgium as the Italians took charge of the match from the 50th minute, signified by some clever play between the players.
Arianna Caruso and Sofia Cantore linked up well to try and create chances but they couldn't quite get past the Belgian defence. That was, until the 65th minute when they managed to equalise through a brilliant curling effort from substitute Manuela Giugliano, just minutes after coming on.
The danger for Belgium continued as they were forced to defend a free kick just five minutes after Italy's last attempt as they continued to press and kept on going for a goal as they tried to make life hard for Belgians.
It was only in the 82nd minute that Belgium made their way back into the game with some great football in and around the box forcing Katja Schroffenegger into a brilliant save, tipping the ball over for a corner which was cleared quickly by Italy.
In the dying minutes of the game, Belgium grabbed the win with a brilliant finish from the Red Flames' leading goalscorer Tessa Wullaert. Her 70th international goal was enough to give them the win despite Italy's second-half fightback.
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