Italy routs Turkey 4-1 in Nations League
Azzurri rebound from Belgium loss with dominant away win featuring two debutants.
KEY POINTS
- Italy beat Turkey 4-1 away in UEFA Nations League Group A
- Mancini made eight changes; three players debuted
- Bastoni, Frattesi (2), and Pio Esposito scored for Italy
- Turkey's goal was a late penalty by Aktürkoğlu
- Italy moves level on points with France at top of group
Italy recovered from its opening Nations League defeat to Belgium by thrashing Turkey 4-1 in Bursa on Monday. Roberto Mancini made eight changes to the starting lineup, handing debuts to Michael Kayode, Matteo Ruggeri and Sebastiano Esposito. The Azzurri led 3-0 at half-time and added a fourth after the break.
Alessandro Bastoni opened the scoring from a corner that deflected off Turkey defender Zeki Çelik. Davide Frattesi doubled the advantage with a close-range finish following a flowing team move. Kayode then struck the post before Frattesi tapped in the rebound for Italy's third.
“Finally we saw the cohesion and collective play we expected.”
Francesco Pio Esposito completed the rout early in the second half. Turkey's consolation came late through a penalty converted by Kerem Aktürkoğlu after a handball by Ruggeri. Italy and France now sit atop Group A with three points each.
Mancini praised the team's cohesion and the impact of the young players. The victory eases pressure on the coach after the hostile reception following the Belgium loss. Italy next faces France in a decisive group match on Friday.
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