Azzurri Rotate Deeply in Bologna
Italy secured a 3-1 victory against Turkey at the Stadio Renato Dell’Ara in Bologna, moving into second place in their Nations League group, la Repubblica reported. The match formed part of an ongoing rebuilding phase for the Azzurri under manager Roberto Mancini, who rotated heavily from previous lineups.
Mancini made nine changes to his starting eleven from the previous fixture against France, retaining only Gianluigi Donnarumma and Alessandro Bastoni. The revamped tactical setup saw first competitive starts for Vergara and Doumbia, alongside a return for Romano in central midfield and Gianluca Scamacca leading the forward line.
Early Scrutiny for Depleted Turkey
The result leaves Turkey at zero points in the group standings, with the future of their manager, Vincenzo Montella, facing increased scrutiny, according to ANSA. Montella’s side traveled to Bologna without several key players, including the suspended Arda Guler, Yilmaz, and the injured Hakan Calhanoglu.
Turkey troubled the hosts early on as Italy struggled to establish midfield control. Donnarumma produced crucial saves to deny Ozan Kabak and Yunus Akgun during the opening stages while Vergara and Maldini worked to find space on the flanks.
Esposito Strikes Twice to Seal Win
Italy broke through when Pio Esposito met a cross from Nicolò Barella, heading the ball into the top corner just minutes after entering the pitch. The goal marked Esposito’s seventh international strike in 13 appearances.
Turkey found an equalizer before Donnarumma intervened again, stopping Salih Özcan to preserve parity. The Azzurri reclaimed the lead shortly after through sustained pressure, and Esposito sealed the 3-1 scoreline late in the match following an attacking run by Doumbia and an assist from Romano.
Securing Pot-1 European Seeding
With France defeating Belgium 4-1 in Saint-Denis concurrently, Italy claimed the three points needed to secure second place in the group. The outcome guarantees the Azzurri a third-place finish in the broader group phase and locks in a pot-1 seeding position for the upcoming European Championship qualifying draw, as detailed by ANSA.
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