The Turkish National Football Team faces Italy in a crucial UEFA Nations League A Group 1 fixture at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium in Bologna, with kickoff set for 21:45 local time (TSI 21.45), Hürriyet reported. Under the management of head coach Vincenzo Montella, the visiting side enters the fixture seeking its first points in the group stage after dropping its opening three matches.
Bologna Showdown Sets Stakes for Standings and Survival
Turkey arrives in Italy looking to reverse a difficult run of results in League A. The team opened its group campaign with a 1-0 defeat against France in Kocaeli, followed by a 4-1 loss to Italy at home in Bursa and a 3-0 reverse away to Belgium. Meanwhile, Fotomaç noted that Italy enters the match following a 2-0 defeat at home to Belgium and a 1-1 draw away to France, having previously beaten Turkey.
The top two teams in each of the four groups advance to the Nations League quarterfinals in March.
Montella Shuffles Starting Lineup Amid Suspension Blows
Vincenzo Montella faces significant roster constraints for the Bologna trip. Anadolu Ajansı reported that the Turkish coach made six changes to his starting lineup compared to the previous match against Belgium, bringing in Ozan Kabak, Eren Elmalı, Salih Özcan, İrfan Can Kahveci, Aral Şimşir, and Yunus Akgün. CNN Türk confirmed that key midfielders Arda Güler and Barış Alper Yılmaz miss the fixture due to yellow-card suspensions incurred during the Belgium game. Both players subsequently left the national team camp.
Confirmed Starting Lineups and Referee Assignments
CNN Türk and Anadolu Ajansı published the confirmed starting XIs for both federations prior to kickoff at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium:
- Turkey Starting XI: Uğurcan Çakır, Zeki Çelik, Ozan Kabak, Abdülkerim Bardakcı, Eren Elmalı, İsmail Yüksek, Salih Özcan, Yunus Akgün, İrfan Can Kahveci, Ferdi Kadıoğlu, Aral Şimşir.
- Italy Starting XI: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Di Lorenzo, Bastoni, Mancini, Ruggeri, Romano, Doumbia, Barella, Maldini, Vergara, Scamacca.
UEFA appointed Polish referee Szymon Marciniak to officiate the match. Marciniak is joined by assistant referees Tomasz Listkiewicz and Adam Kupsik, with Karol Arys serving as the fourth official.
Traveling Supporters Fill the Away Sections in Bologna
Anadolu Ajansı reported strong backing from the Turkish diaspora in Italy, with supporters filling nearly the entire allocation of away tickets at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium. Turkish Ambassador to Rome Elif Çomoğlu Ülgen and Consul General of Turkey in Milan Mehmet Özöktem attended the stadium alongside Turkish citizens residing across Bologna and neighboring regions, as well as students studying in Italy.
Next Fixtures in the UEFA Nations League Group Stage
Turkey will conclude its UEFA Nations League A Group 1 campaign in November with a return fixture away against France and a final home match against Belgium hosted in İzmir.
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