Turkey suffered a 4–1 defeat against Italy at Bursa on September 28, 2026, in their UEFA Nations League second match. The result leaves the national team without a point from their opening two fixtures in the competition, while Italy secured three points of the group stage.
Early Setbacks Define Bursa Encounter
The visiting team established control early in the fixture at Bursa. Italy opened the scoring in the 9th minute when Bastoni reacted quickest inside the penalty area to direct a low corner from Ruggeri past goalkeeper Altay into the top right corner.
Turkey struggled to contain the Italian midfield movement. In the 22nd minute, Raspadori slipped a pass to Kayode on the right flank. Although Altay stopped Kayode’s initial strike, Frattesi followed up to tap the loose ball into an unguarded net and double the advantage.
Italy compounded the pressure before halftime. Raspadori launched another attacking sequence in the 27th minute, feeding Francesco Pio Esposito, who laid the ball off for Kayode. Kayode finished accurately from the right side of the penalty area to send the visitors into the interval with a comfortable three-goal cushion.
Barış Alper Yılmaz Tries to Spark a Revival
Turkey mounted a brief response shortly after the restart. Abdülkerim launched a long clearance in the 47th minute that reached Oğuz Aydın on the right. Aydın delivered a low cross past Italy goalkeeper Donnarumma, allowing Barış Alper Yılmaz to convert at the back post and reduce the deficit to 3–1.
Any hopes of an improbable comeback were quickly extinguished. Tonali rattled the post with a finesse shot from the edge of the box in the 50th minute, and Francesco Pio Esposito reacted fastest to head home the rebound from close range, restoring Italy’s three-goal lead at 4–1.
Standings and Upcoming Fixtures
With this result, Turkey remains scoreless through two matches in the group. The team travels away to face Belgium in the third fixture of the group stage.
Meanwhile, Italy claims three points and turns its attention toward another away fixture. The squad travels to play France in their upcoming Nations League match.
Match Statistics and Starting Lineups
Turkey Starting XI: Altay, Zeki, Merih, Ozan Kabak, Eren Elmalı, Salih Özcan, Orkun, Oğuz, Can Uzun, Arda Güler, Barış Alper.
Italy Starting XI: Donnarumma, Kayode, Ruggeri, Fagioli, Esposito, Tonali, Raspadori, Frattesi, Scalvini, Bastono, Expositi.
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