Antonio Conte wasn't the only one left nursing a bloody nose here at the Stade de Lyon.
The incoming Chelsea boss suffered his injury celebrating Emanuele Giaccherini's opening goal. In the case of Marc Wilmots and his Belgium players, on the other hand, this was another chastening occasion on the big stage.
The wait for Belgium's golden generation to glitter goes on. This was a familiar story for a group that continues to fail to be the sum of its parts; that fails to click. There is something missing from Wilmots' team and it is not just the cohesion that is so important to many great sides, and certainly makes this Italy team so damned hard to beat.
Graziano Pelle lashes the ball home in injury time to make sure of the points for Italy
Pelle wheels away in delight after doubling Italy's advantage while ensuring a miserable night for Belgium
Pelle is congratulated by his team-mates as Italy celebrate making a winning start to the European Championship
Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon celebrates after Pelle's goal sent the Italians into delirium
Conte's side were everything that Belgium were not. Resolute, passionate and together.
When Graziano Pelle fired an emphatic second goal in added time, the bench emptied and the celebrations started as if they had won Euro 2016.
More followed at the final whistle, veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon falling on his backside as he tried to swing off the crossbar. It was about the only thing the 38-year-old got wrong all night as he continues to defy time.
'You have this alchemy between players who enjoy being together,' said Conte. 'The best thing for me tonight was how everyone got involved. Everyone is pulling together and there is a great spirit in the side.'
Meanwhile, Belgium sloped off the pitch and headed for a now familiar inquest. Just how does Wilmots get such a talented group of individuals to succeed as a team when it matters most?
Two years ago, Belgium laboured to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Brazil before making a disappointing exit.
Now, their first appearance in the European Championship finals since they co-hosted the tournament in 2000 has begun in equally deflating fashion.
Conte's Italy got the better of Wilmots' Belgium that year, and so it was again here.
This Group E opener, and one of the most eagerly anticipated games of the first phase, was always going to be a contrast of styles between Belgium, a team currently ranked second in the world and committed to attacking football, and Italy, the beaten finalists four years ago and the defensive misers who qualified as one of only four undefeated teams while scoring just seven goals.
It went Italy's way simply because they executed their game plan better with typical tenacity. For all Belgium's attacking intent, only two of their 18 goal attempts were on target.
Italy's Emanuele Giaccherini scores the opening goal past Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois
Courtois can do nothing about the shot after Giaccherini stole a march on the Belgium defence
The ball hits the back of the net as the Belgium defence laments the concession of the goal on the half-hour mark
Giaccherini is mobbed by his team-mates after scoring Italy's first goal of the tournament in France
Giaccherini also made a bee-line for the Italy bench to celebrate with his team-mates on the bench
Antonio Conte suffered a nose bleed while celebrating Italy's first goal of the game
Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne were disappointing, Romelu Lukaku largely anonymous.
Italy’s plan was clear from the start; to frustrate their opponents, primarily by using wing-backs Matteo Darmian and Antonio Candreva to counteract the wide threat from Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne.
It worked in the sense that Belgium’s best attempts in the first half came down the middle and from distance.
First Romelu Lukaku and the newly blond Fellaini nodded on for Radja Nainggolan – reported to be a target for Conte when he takes over at Chelsea after this tournament – to force Buffon into a fine save from 25 yards out.
When Italy struggled to clear their lines shortly afterwards, Fellaini again prodded the ball to Nainggolan who fired wide from a similar distance.
It took Italy half an hour to fire their first shot in anger, Pelle curling an effort harmlessly wide.
But it was the prelude to the opening goal as Conte’s side took a surprise lead moments later in the 32nd minute.
Pelle missed a chance to add to his tally for Italy after a hit-and-miss season with Southampton - but would later make amends
Pelle can't hide his frustration after his missed chance in the first half in Belgium
Romelu Lukaku came close to levelling for Belgium but he lifted his ball over Buffon and the crossbar
Everton striker Lukaku didn't need to be told that he had missed the chance to haul Belgium back into the match
Thibaut Courtois dives to his right to save from Pelle and keep Belgium's deficit to just one
There seemed little danger when Bonucci advanced over halfway with the ball at his feet. However, he saw an opportunity and floated a wonderful ball over the top of the Belgium defence.
It brushed the head of the despairing Toby Alderweireld and dropped to Giaccherini, the Sunderland striker on loan at Bologna last season, who killed the ball with one touch of his left foot and stroked it past Thibaut Courtois with his right.
Pelle should have extended the lead almost immediately after Courtois palmed away Candreva’s shot for a corner, but the Southampton striker headed wide of a gaping goal from Marco Parolo’s flick-on following a mix-up in the Belgium defence.
And De Bruyne almost punished Italy before half-time after more good work by Fellaini, but goalscorer Giaccherini made a fantastic block to keep out his shot inside the box.
Considering that Italy came out for the second half prepared to defend deep, it was a surprise that one of Belgium’s best chances came from a breakaway in the 54th minute.
Italy manager Antonio Conte - who will join Chelsea after the tournament - cut an animated figure on the touchline
Marouane Fellaini, who was sporting a bleached-blond haircut, views with Italy defender Andrea Barzagli
Kevin De Bruyne stretches for the ball with Matteo Darmian also keeping an eye on it
Workers clear water away prior to the match following a downpour of rain before kick-off
Lukaku charged into acres of space unmarked and was picked out by a great pass from De Bruyne. Buffon raced off his line but the Everton striker floated his effort wide of an unguarded goal.
Italy did not make the same mistake again. They chased and they harried, and when that didn’t worked, they just fouled.
Bonucci, Eder and substitute Thiago Motta were all happy to pick up blatant yellow cards from referee Mark Clattenburg.
Red shirts swarmed around the penalty box in search of a way through and an opportunity finally presented itself when De Bruyne’s cross picked out Divock Origi unmarked in front of goal late on, but the Liverpool striker headed over.
Up to that point, Courtois’ only real involvement in the second half was to make a fine save from Pelle. He then produced another to keep out Ciro Immobile’s shot late on.
But then Italy broke again in added time. Immobile carried the ball upfield and fed Candreva on the right. He floated a cross to the edge of the six-yard box where Pelle met it with an emphatic volley into the back of an empty net.
On the touchline, Conte’s nose had stopped bleeding. However, Belgium’s troubles on the big stage continue unabated.
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