Two new head coaches collided in Rome, with Mancini going toe-to-toe with new Red Devils boss Mark van Bommel.
Azzurri supporters will be desperately hoping that Mancini can take Italy back to their former glories, but this sluggish start showed just how much work is needed here.
The visitors took a deserved lead when Godts latched onto Kevin De Bruyne’s through ball, weaved his way into the box past the challenges of Diego Coppola and Gianluca Mancini, before firing home his first senior international goal.
Gianluigi Donnarumma was doing all he could to keep the deficit at one, making a stunning double save to deny Charles De Ketelaere and Nicolas Raskin in quick succession.
He was called into action again moments later with an equally impressive save to keep out Godts’ header, before Italy spurned a golden chance to restore parity.
Nicolo Cambiaghi drifted a ball to the far post, but Moise Kean could only find the side netting with his attempt at the far post in an absorbing first half.
Italy came out after the break with renewed vigour and almost equalised within two minutes of the restart when Senne Lammens made an outstanding save with his outstretched right leg to keep out Kean’s strike.
The Manchester United goalkeeper then kept out Pio Esposito’s attempt, in a match that was being played at a breathless pace.
But crucially, it was Belgium that struck courtesy of a fine individual effort from substitute Lukebakio.
The Benfica forward had only been on the pitch for 11 minutes when he rifled an unstoppable finish into the bottom corner at the end of a devastating counter-attack, which deflated Italy after their bright start to the second half.
Italy were desperately searching for a way back into this contest, and Riccardo Calafiori was not far away from halving Belgium’s advantage with a left-footed strike that just cleared the far post.
Giorgio Scalvini then rattled the crossbar in the closing stages, in an ultimately frustrating night for the hosts.
Belgium held on for a deserved victory, which extends their fine run of form to just one defeat in their last 20 games across all competitions (W13, D6).
Meanwhile, this may have only been a third loss in Italy’s last 12 games, but the damaging nature of those defeats leaves morale within the fanbase at an undoubted low point.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Senne Lammens (Belgium)
