Scamacca strikes, Esposito seals it! Italy beat Turkey 3-1 to boost Nations League hopes
Scamacca breaks the deadlock in Bologna
Roberto Mancini opted for experimentation in Bologna, making nine changes to the side that drew with France. The heavy rotation initially led to a disjointed performance, as Turkey looked the more dangerous side in the opening exchanges.
Despite the shaky start, the hosts found their clinical edge in the 26th minute. A well-worked move on the right involving Vergara and Giovanni Di Lorenzo saw the Napoli captain whip a dangerous cross into the heart of the penalty area. Gianluca Scamacca, who had earlier seen a goal chalked off for offside, made no mistake this time. The Atalanta forward controlled the ball after a ricochet and hammered a ferocious volley off the underside of the crossbar to give Italy the lead.
The remainder of the first half saw Italy attempt to assert control through midfield, though they remained vulnerable on the counter-attack. Turkey’s movement off the ball caused consistent problems for the Italian backline, with Aral Simsir particularly lively. However, the Azzurri held firm until the interval, with Scamacca going close again from distance as the hosts looked to double their advantage.
Turkey strike back before Calafiori response
Turkey emerged for the second half with renewed intensity and were nearly level when Simsir pounced on a miscommunication between Donnarumma and Di Lorenzo. The attacker rounded the goalkeeper but was forced wide, and Bastoni recovered just in time to block the eventual shot. Italy responded by introducing Riccardo Calafiori and Francesco Pio Esposito, yet they were soon pegged back. In the 61st minute, Yunus Akgun picked out Zeki Celik, whose cross was flicked on by Eren Elmali for Simsir to tap home a deserved equaliser at the far post.
The parity lasted only four minutes as Italy showed immense character to retake the lead almost immediately. Nicolo Barella won a free-kick in a dangerous area and took responsibility for the delivery himself. The Inter Milan midfielder floated a precise cross to the back post, where Calafiori rose highest to loop a header over Ugurcan Cakir. While Turkey players appealed for a foul in the build-up, the goal stood, marking the Arsenal defender's first strike for his country and restoring the momentum to the home side.
Esposito puts the result beyond doubt
With the game entering its final stages, Turkey pushed forward in search of another equaliser, forcing Donnarumma into a spectacular save from Salih Ozcan. The Italian captain had to be at his best to parry a powerful right-footed effort as the pressure mounted. Italy also survived a major scare when Baris Alper Yilmaz beat the offside trap and attempted a lob over the advancing Donnarumma, but the ball fortunately drifted wide of the target. These narrow escapes served as a wake-up call for Mancini’s side to kill off the contest.
The Azzurri finally secured the points in the 87th minute through a clinical counter-attack. Issa Doumbia showed great strength to win a duel near the touchline before driving into the box and seeing his shot blocked. Alessandro Romano pounced on the loose ball and fired a low cross-shot across the face of goal, where substitute Francesco Pio Esposito was waiting to side-foot the ball home from close range.
The goal sparked celebrations in the stands, confirming Italy's dominance in this fixture and extending their unbeaten run against Turkey to 16 matches.
Nations League standings and future outlook
This victory leaves Italy in a strong position within Group A1, moving them up to seven points from four matches. After a difficult start to the campaign that included a defeat to Belgium, Mancini's side have recovered well and now sit just behind group leaders France. The result in Bologna means Italy are firmly in the hunt for a place in the Nations League quarter-finals, with crucial matches against Belgium and France scheduled for the November international break.
For Turkey, the defeat leaves them at the foot of the table without a point, staring at the prospect of relegation to League B. Despite showing flashes of quality and fighting back to level the score, Montella's men were ultimately undone by Italy's superior depth and set-piece efficiency.
