
Italy return to victory and do so convincingly. After losing 0-2 to Belgium in the opening match of the Nations League, the Azzurri crushed Turkey 4-1 in Bursa, taking their first three points in the Nations League.
Roberto Mancini's Italy responded immediately after the defeat to Belgium and gave a completely different performance in the difficult transfer to Turkey. Alessandro Bastoni gave Italy the advantage in the 9th minute, while Davide Frattesi doubled the score in the 22nd minute. Just five minutes later, Michael Kayode scored the third goal, in a debut that could not have started better.
Italy went into the break with a three-goal lead, while at the start of the second half Francesco Pio Esposito scored the fourth goal, in the 50th minute. Turkey found the consolation goal with Barıs Alper Yilmaz in the 47th minute, but failed to get back into the game.
In fact, Italy ended the first half with a 3-0 lead and during the match also registered an advantage in possession and shots: about 52% possession and 12 shots, compared to 48% and 5 shots for Turkey. The victory takes on even more weight considering that Mancini made eight changes to the lineup compared to the match against Belgium, while the starting lineup also included brothers Pio and Sebastiano Esposito.
Italy reacts immediately after the 0-2 loss to Belgium and takes the first three points in Group A1, while Turkey suffers its second consecutive defeat after the minimal defeat to France.