Italy took control early in Bursa, opening the scoring in the ninth minute through Alessandro Bastoni, who turned in a corner to give the visitors the lead. The team added two more goals before half-time, with Davide Frattesi and Michael Kayode both scoring to put Italy three goals ahead.
This was Roberto Mancini’s first win since returning as Italy manager last month. His second spell began with a 2-1 loss to Belgium at home four days earlier, a result that sparked questions about whether the team was still affected by missing out on a third straight World Cup. Mancini, who previously managed Italy from 2018 to 2023 and led them to victory at Euro 2020, faced those doubts head-on with this performance.
Turkey, managed by former Italy striker Vincenzo Montella, struggled early and faced boos from their own supporters at half-time as they trailed by three goals. The Turkish team had a difficult World Cup, exiting at the group stage, and this Nations League campaign has started poorly with no points from two matches.
Turkey did pull a goal back after the break when Baris Alper Yilmaz scored his sixth international goal. But Italy quickly restored their three-goal advantage. Sandro Tonali hit the post, and Pio Esposito headed in the rebound to make it 4-1 in the 50th minute.
Despite pushing forward and creating chances in the second half, Turkey couldn’t close the gap. Italy’s strong first-half performance had left too much for them to overcome. The win gave Italy three points from their opening Nations League match, while Turkey remained on zero.
The result offered a clearer sign of Italy’s potential under Mancini’s renewed leadership, showing a team capable of decisive attacking and controlling the game. But the challenges for Turkey continue, as they search for form and results in the competition.
According to 3News.
