FEuropean soccer champions Italy have achieved their first victory in the new season in the Nations League. Three days after the 1-1 draw against Germany, the Squadra Azzurra won 2-1 (2-0) against Hungary, who conquered England, in Cesena on Tuesday evening. Nicolo Barella from Inter Milan (30th minute) and Lorenzo Pellegrini from AS Roma just before the half-time whistle (45th) scored the goals for the Italians. The guests could only shorten the gap with an own goal by Roma professional Gianluca Mancini (61st).
Since the end of the qualifying playoffs for the 2022 World Cup, Italian football has faced major challenges again. Coach Roberto Mancini wants to reorganize his team, but faces the problem of finding suitable players – especially on the offensive. “It will be difficult to embark on this new path,” said Mancini after the 1-1 draw against Germany.
Turkey wins 6-0 in Lithuania
Coach Stefan Kuntz and the Turkish national football team continue to stroll through the Nations League, which is only the third highest division. Turkey also won their second group game in Lithuania 6-0 (2-0) on Tuesday, leading Group 1 in League C as expected. Last Saturday, Kuntz’ team beat the Faroe Islands 4-0.
Dogukan Sinik (2nd/14th) put the Turks in the lead in Vilnius with two goals, former Darmstadt player Serdar Dursun (56th) first scored with a hand penalty and then followed up (81st), then Yunus Akgün was successful (89th. ). The final score was marked by Halil Dervisoglu (90′ + 1′).
Salih Özcan, who switched from 1. FC Köln to Borussia Dortmund in the summer, was in Turkey’s starting XI for the first time. The defensive midfielder had already played for Germany’s U21s under Kuntz, but has now decided to play in his parents’ home country.
Turkey was relegated from the B-League in the last Nations League season as the bottom of the group. In League C, the Kuntz team is a big favorite with group opponents Lithuania, the Faroe Islands and Luxembourg. The Turks did not qualify for the World Cup in Qatar next winter.
