Italy Hit Back with 4-1 Nations League Win Over Turkiye
Italy answered their opening Nations League setback in emphatic fashion, beating Turkiye 4-1 after Roberto Mancini’s extensively changed side produced three first-half goals and a rapid response to the visitors’ brief revival.
Match facts
| Item | Figure | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Result | Italy 4-1 Turkiye | Nations League, Group A1 |
| Italy changes | Eight | Mancini reshaped the team after the 2-0 loss to Belgium |
| Senior debuts | Three | Michael Kayode, Matteo Ruggeri and Sebastiano Esposito |
| Next Italy fixture | October 2 | France away |
Mancini handed first senior starts to Kayode, Ruggeri and Sebastiano Esposito, while Sebastiano lined up alongside his brother Francesco Pio Esposito. It was the first time brothers had started together for Italy since 1915.
Turkiye arrived without goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir, suspended following the match against France, and injuries had ruled out Hakan Calhanoglu, Kenan Yildiz and Mert Muldur. With both teams having lost their first Group A1 matches, the contest carried early importance.
Italy took control from the opening exchanges. Francesco Pio Esposito drew a fingertip stop with an effort from a tight angle, and the resulting corner eventually fell for Alessandro Bastoni, who drove in from 12 yards. The Inter defender was making his first appearance since the red card that proved costly in the World Cup play-offs.
The second came from a flowing move involving Davide Frattesi, Pio Esposito and Giacomo Raspadori. Kayode’s shot across goal was pushed into Frattesi’s path by Altay Bayindir, allowing the midfielder to finish at the far post.
Italy then repeated the pattern to make it three before the half-hour. Pio Esposito released Kayode on the right after another rapid passing sequence, and the debutant beat Bayindir at the near post. It was Italy’s first competitive match with three goals in the opening 30 minutes since September 2021.
Vincenzo Montella made three changes at the interval and Turkiye scored within 90 seconds of the restart. Oguz Aydin supplied the cross and Baris Alper Yilmaz converted after Italy failed to deal with the danger.
The recovery did not last. Nicolo Cambiaghi, introduced from the bench, won possession and broke down the left before finding Sandro Tonali. Tonali’s curler struck the far post, but Pio Esposito followed in to head into an unguarded net for Italy’s fourth.
Turkiye had further moments in the second half. Yilmaz was booked for simulation after going down under Gianluigi Donnarumma’s challenge, with no penalty awarded. He later struck the post and saw the ball cross the line after an Arda Guler pass, only for the goal to be disallowed because Aydin was offside and obstructing Donnarumma’s view.
Bayindir prevented an even heavier defeat, saving from Cambiaghi and then reacting to deny Kayode on the rebound. At the other end, Guler curled narrowly wide and Kerem Akturkoglu missed from six yards after Guler had beaten three Italian defenders.
The win puts Italy third in Group A1 on three points, level with Belgium in second and three behind France, who have six. Italy travel to face the group leaders on October 2.
