Italy dropped their first points of this Nations League campaign, as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Belgium in Rome.

The 10-man Azzurri, who had Lorenzo Pellegrini sent off, were pegged back from 2-0 up at Stadio Olimpico, where Maxim De Cuyper and Leandro Trossard cancelled out earlier efforts from Andrea Cambiaso and Mateo Retegui.

Just 59 seconds had elapsed when Italy broke the deadlock as Federico Dimarco played a one-two with Pellegrini, before his low cross was turned in at the far post by Cambiaso.

It was 2-0 in the 24th minute when Koen Casteeles parried Cambiaso's low drive straight to Retegui, who tapped into an open goal.

However, the Azzurri's momentum was halted after 40 minutes when Pellegrini was shown a straight red card following a VAR review after his late challenge on Arthur Theate.

Belgium quickly took advantage to halve the deficit with a neatly worked free-kick as Youri Tielemans and Trossard combined to tee up De Cuyper, who curled past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

And the comeback was completed just after the hour mark when Wout Faes nodded a deep corner into the six-yard box, where Trossard nipped in ahead of Donnarumma to ensure a share of the spoils.

1 - Lorenzo Pellegrini's is the first direct red card received by an Italian player in an Azzurri match since Domenico Criscito in a friendly against Netherlands, on 4th June 2018. Sanction.#ItaliaBelgio

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) October 10, 2024

After back-to-back victories over France and Israel, Italy were quick out of the blocks in their quest to make it three wins from three.

Cambiaso's strike saw the Azzurri score in the opening minute of a match for the first time since June 2013, when Emanuele Giaccherini struck early against Haiti.

However, the pendulum certainly swung away from them following the dismissal of Pellegrini, who became the first Italy player to receive a direct red card since Domenico Criscito against Netherlands in June 2018.