Arnold Clark Cup 2023: Belgium win first match of the tournament with late goal

Italy and Belgium battled it out in the tournament's opening match at Stadium MK, with Belgium winning 2-1 to claim the first victory of the day. The Arnold Clark Cup 2023 got off to a strong start. The game was a tale of two halves, with each team dominating one half, and it is fair to say that the final score fairly reflected that. Italy got out to a good start, going close in the first few minutes, but it didn't last long as Belgium quickly seized the lead through Marie Deltruyer and remained threatening for the remainder of the first half. Italy didn't make it even though Belgium had most of the first half's possession.It was a thrilling opening to the 2023 invitational event as they fought for the ball the entire time. Italy had two free kicks in the latter minutes of the first half after Ives Serneels' team had controlled the early stages, but they failed to take advantage of either chance and trailed 1-0 at the halftime. Italy came out stronger in the second half, and it became evident that Belgium would have a difficult last 45 minutes as Italy assumed control of the game in the 50th minute thanks to some deft player play.While they linked up effectively to attempt to create opportunities, the Belgian defence proved to be too strong for Arianna Caruso and Sofia Cantore to overcome. That is, until they equalised in the 65th minute due to Manuela Giugliano, a replacement who had only been on the pitch for a short while, and her excellent curling attempt. Five minutes after Italy's previous effort, Belgium was forced to defend a free kick as Italy continued to push and try to score to make things tough for Belgium. Belgium didn't enter the game again until the 82nd minute, when they played some excellent football in and around the penalty area. This forced Katja Schroffenegger to make an outstanding save by tipping the ball over for a goal.