Turkey suffered a heavy 4–1 defeat to Italy in UEFA Nations League Group A play, collapsing during a 27-minute stretch in the first half at Bursa. The loss leaves Turkey at the bottom of the group standings after two matches, while Italy secured its first victory under returning manager Roberto Mancini following an opening 0–2 defeat against Belgium.
Early Defensiveness Undoes Turkey in Bursa
Playing in a steady rain at Bursa, Turkey started the match brightly compared to their narrow 0–1 defeat against France. However, defensive errors quickly unraveled their game plan. In the 9th minute, Turkish defender Mehmet Çelik completely missed his clearance attempt at a flat corner kick, allowing the ball to run through for Alessandro Bastoni to score easily from close range.
The situation worsened in the 22nd minute when goalkeeper Altay Bayındır parried a routine shot directly into the path of Lazio midfielder Davide Frattesi, who tapped in Italy’s second goal. Just five minutes later, in the 27th minute, Italy sliced through the penalty area at will before Michael Kayode finished the sequence to make it 3–0.
Brief Second-Half Resurgence Falls Short
Turkey found a lifeline shortly after the interval when Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma rushed out of his goal unnecessarily, enabling Barış Alper Yılmaz to pull a goal back in the 47th minute. The momentary hope was extinguished just three minutes later when Francesco Pio Esposito restored Italy’s three-goal cushion by heading home to make it 4–1 in the 50th minute.
Despite generating several scoring opportunities later in the half, Turkey’s poor finishing matched the defensive frailties that plagued them during the opening period. The final whistle confirmed a comprehensive victory for the Squadra Azzurra.
Group Standings and Mancini’s Return
Having guided the national team to the UEFA Euro 2020 title before missing qualification for the FIFA World Cup, Mancini steadied the team following their opening loss to Belgium. Italy now sits in a stronger position ahead of their upcoming fixture against France.
For Turkey, the two-match sequence yields zero points and last place in Group A, requiring an immediate tactical turnaround as the group stage continues.
