BURSA – Italy, transformed by eight elevenths, scored, put on a show, and held Turkey in check with pace, technique, and tactical intelligence. Montella's team was rained down with goals (three in the first half) and deafening boos from the home crowd. The Azzurri played beautifully, played first-time, and dominated the pitch. So much so that in the first 45 minutes, it felt like the best version of the Euro 2021-winning Italy. It wasn't easy to bounce back in a hostile environment like Bursa, on a pitch softened by the rain. Instead, Roberto Mancini found the right formula, reshaping the team and easing the emotional burden. The first 45 minutes were memorable, with the second half brisk with Italy aiming to maintain their large lead (4-1), preventing Turkey's reaction and pride from turning into an assault. Debutants Kayode and Sebastiano Esposito responded excellently.
After the defeat to Belgium, Roberto Mancini revolutionized Italy. In addition to Donnarumma, only Tonali and Pio Esposito remained in the starting lineup. Esposito plays with his brother Sebastiano on the left, with Raspadori on the right. Scalvini and Bastoni are the central defenders, Kayode and Ruggeri are the wingers. Frattesi and Fagioli round out the midfield. Montella, without Çalhanoğlu and Yıldız, lines up Turkey with the classic 3-4-2-1 formation, which converts to a 4-4-2 when defending.
The first shot off target after 5 minutes came from Raspadori, who tended to move inside during possession to facilitate runs, particularly for Kayode. Pio Esposito became decidedly more dangerous in the 8th minute, his diagonal shot being deflected out for a corner by the Turkish goalkeeper. Ruggeri fired low from the corner, the ball found its way through, and Bastoni slotted it under the crossbar with a first-time effort to give Italy the lead. The Azzurri maintained control of the game and doubled their lead in the 22nd minute with a masterful display of technical mastery. Five first-time passes in tight spaces led to Kayode's shot, which was deflected by Bayindir, who was powerless to stop Frattesi's rebound. In the 27th minute, Italy repeated the feat, with a pass from left to right, touched by Raspadori and the Esposito brothers, and passed to Kayode, who took aim and beat the Turkish goalkeeper for the third time. In the 32nd minute, Fagioli's low cross into the box was turned in by Raspadori with his left foot, but the shot went just over. Italy continued to put on a show, and in the 35th minute, Kayode, having skipped past his direct opponent, crossed the ball into the center of the box, where Sebastiano Esposito fired a first-time shot, missing the target.
After the break, Cambiaghi came on for Raspadori. Turkey made three substitutions: Akturkoglu, Bardakci, and Kahveci came on for Demiral, Kokcu, and Uzun. The second half began with a blunder from Italy, allowing Aydin to put the ball into the hands of Yilmaz, who had no trouble scoring with an empty net. In the 5th minute, Italy dampened Turkey's enthusiasm by scoring again. Cambiaghi capitalized on a flawed clearance from his opponents, ran forward, and fed Tonali, who hit the post from 16 meters. Pio Esposito dived to head the rebound (1-4). In the 9th minute, Yilmiz eluded Scalvini and then acted as a stuntman on Donnarumma's approach. The referee noticed and booked him. In the 12th minute, Yilmiz found a billiard ball, but Audin was offside in the path. In the 18th minute, Doumbia replaced Sebastiano Esposito. Midway through the second half, Scalvini's excellent defensive tackle was followed by Cambiaghi's run and shot, with the Turkish goalkeeper making a two-stage save, narrowly beating Kayode. On the half-hour mark, Scamacca and Romano came on for Pio Esposito and Fagioli. In the 35th minute, Akturkoglu, unmarked in front of Donnarumma, fired a shot into the sky. In the 37th minute, Mancini took precautions, replacing Frattesi with Di Lorenzo. Italy, with a 5-4-1 formation focused on management and containment, served up the fourth and took home three points that propel them back into the Nations League.
Türkiye-ITALY 1-4
Türkiye (3-4-2-1): Bayindir 4.5; Celik 5, Merih Demiral 4.5 (from 1′ st Bardakci 6), Kabak 5; Aydin 5.5, Ozcan 5 (from the 31st st Tikzan sv), Kokcu 5 (from the 1st st Yuksek 5.5), Elmali 5.5; Arda Guler 6, Uzun 4.5 (from 1′ st Akturkoglu 5); Yilmaz 6 (from 35′ st Gul sv). CT: Montella
Italy (4-3-3): Donnarumma 6; Kayode 7.5, Scalvini 6, Bastoni 7, Ruggeri 7; Frattesi 7.5 (from 37′ st. Di Lorenzo n/a), Fagioli 6.5 (from 30′ st. Romano n/a), Tonali 7; Raspadori 7 (from 1′ st. Cambiaghi 6.5), Pio Esposito 7 (from 30′ st. Scamacca n/a), Sebastiano Esposito 7.5 (from 18′ st. Doumbia 6). Coach: Mancini
Referee: Oliver (Eng) 7 Assistants: Burt-Mainwaring IV Man: England Var: Attwell Avar: Donohue
Scorers: 1st half 9' Bastoni 22' Frattesi 27' Kayode; 2nd half 2' Yilmiz 5' Pio Esposito
Booked: Uzun, Yilmaz, Kabak
