Italy vs Turkey – News and Probable Lineups

Completing a series of UEFA Nations League matches, Itália and Turquia are set to meet in Bologna on Monday evening.

Both squads find themselves behind the top two in League A Group 1, and after a significant victory for the Azzurri in Bursa, these teams are meeting again within just eight days.

Match overview

Three years after moving from La Nazionale to Arábia Saudita, Euro 2020 champion Roberto Mancini has returned to lead the Italian national team, with noticeable signs of improvement already evident.

Despite starting his second tenure with a disappointing home loss against Bélgica, a younger squad then traveled to Turquia and delivered a stunning 4-1 victory, with emerging talents Pio Esposito and Michael Kayode finding the net.

Itália raced out of the blocks in Bursa, establishing a three-goal advantage before halftime, which gave them confidence ahead of a Friday evening clash with França.

The Italian side faced Zinedine Zidane’s team in Paris, relying on determined defending and seven outstanding saves from their captain Gianluigi Donnarumma to secure a draw, after leveling the score shortly following an early setback.

Back in the lineup for the match in Turquia—following a suspension due to a red card received during Itália’s recent World Cup playoff disappointment—Alessandro Bastoni notably scored for the second consecutive match.

This outcome left the Azzurri in third position with four points, two less than Bélgica and three behind Les Bleus.

França is scheduled to visit Milan next month, before Itália wraps up their Group 1 campaign with a challenging journey to Brussels, thus they need to aim for maximum points on Monday.

Having secured three victories in their last four encounters with Turquia, including a 3-0 triumph during the Euros success in 2021, the Italians will rely on historical precedence.

Current form does not favor the visitors either, as the Crescent-Stars head to Emilia-Romagna without earning a single point, placing them at the bottom of Group 1 at the season’s midpoint.

After consecutive promotions from the Nations League’s third tier, Turquia has recently experienced their first appearance at League A level, where they faced a loss to França in Kocaeli.

This was followed by a heavy home defeat against Itália, and then a 3-0 setback in Bélgica on Friday: the latter marked a fifth loss out of six matches for Vincenzo Montella’s squad, who exited early from this summer’s World Cup.

While Mancini has received some accolades, his former Sampdoria colleague is now under scrutiny, as Montella’s team finds itself in a battle for survival in League A.

A standout striker during his playing career, Turquia’s head coach netted three times for the Italian national team in 20 appearances but had limited success as a manager in Serie A.

As they head to Bologna, Montella will desperately seek points at Stadio Dall’Ara, as another defeat could virtually guarantee relegation.

Team News

Following Mancini’s decision to make only two changes to his Italia lineup on Friday, with Riccardo Calafiori and Moise Kean stepping in for Mateo Ruggeri and the sidelined Giacomo Raspadori, further squad rotation may be forthcoming.

It remains uncertain whether Pio Esposito—who boasts a record of a goal every other game across 12 international outings—will partner with his brother Sebastiano again.

Napoli forward Antonio Vergara made an impact as a second-half sub on his debut, while Gianluca Scamacca and Kean can also vie with the Espositos for roles in the attacking third.

After starting on the bench against França, seasoned players like Nicolo Barella and Gianluca Mancini may return to contention.

Conversely, Turquia will be without their key player, as Arda Guler received a late booking in Bélgica and has been handed a one-match suspension. Galatasaray attacker Baris Alper Yilmaz is also suspended, prompting Montella to redesign his attacking lineup.

The visitors were already dealing with the absences of two Italy-based stars, with Hakan Calhanoglu and Kenan Yildiz both sidelined due to injury.

In the absence of Calhanoglu, former Juventus defender Merih Demiral will once again take charge as captain for the Crescent-Stars.

Itália probable starting XI:

Donnarumma; Kayode, Scalvini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Barella, Tonali, Frattesi; Vergara, P. Esposito, Kean

Turquia probable starting XI:

Cakir; Kabak, Demiral, Celik; Kadioglu, Ozcan, Yuksek, Elmali; Akgun, Akturkoglu; rose

After a slow start in Group 1, Itália has since displayed a strong performance in their last two games, whereas Turquia has yet to claim a point.

Demoralized and undermanned, another loss could lead to the end of Montella’s tenure, who narrowly avoided dismissal following a disappointing World Cup run.