Italy vs Turkey: Azzurri win 3–1 and reach seven points

A quick Italian response prevented Turkey from building on its equaliser. However, the Azzurri still needed late defensive work to protect their advantage.

Italy vs Turkey ended 3-1 in Bologna on Monday, October 5. Gianluca Scamacca, Riccardo Calafiori, and Pio Esposito delivered the goals at the Renato Dall’Ara.Meanwhile, Roberto Mancini’s side climbed to second with seven points.

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Italy vs Turkey rewards rotation and resilience

Italy closed its fourth Nations League match with a second victory over Turkey. The Azzurri had won 4–1 in Bursa and drawn 1-1 away against France.

Those results followed a 2-0 home defeat to Belgium in the opening round. Therefore, Mancini’s team entered November unbeaten across its last three matches.

The Italian federation’s match report confirms nine changes from the previous starting eleven. Gianluigi Donnarumma and Alessandro Bastoni kept their places while Mancini refreshed other positions.

Moreover, Antonio Vergara, Scamacca, and Daniel Maldini formed a different attacking trio. Issa Doumbia also started in midfield as Italy distributed minutes across the squad.

Scamacca turns a rebound into the opener

Scamacca first found the net after 23 minutes, but the assistant flagged him offside. Nevertheless, that disappointment did not prevent him from opening the scoring shortly afterward.

His valid finish arrived in the 26th minute after a delivery from the right. The ball rebounded inside the area, and he reacted with a forceful right-footed volley.

¡UFFF UN DERECHAZO DIRECTO AL ÁNGULO! Gianluca Scamacca y un GOLAZO ante Turquía. Es su segundo gol con la camiseta de Italia (el anterior fue el 17 de octubre de 2023). 📺 Toda la #NationsLeague por ESPN en el Plan Premium de #DisneyPlus https://t.co/6aEAvczwf0
— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) October 5, 2026

As a result, the Scamacca goal gave Italy a lead without requiring sustained attacking pressure. His response to the loose ball mattered more than a long possession sequence. Turkey had already tested Donnarumma through Ozan Kabak and Yunus Akgün. Meanwhile, those early opportunities showed the danger of treating the visitors’ poor results as their entire identity.

Italy reached halftime ahead, with a centre-forward who had converted a messy penalty-area situation. However, Turkey remained capable of creating problems beyond the interval.

Turkey equalises before Calafiori responds

Aral Şimşir brought Turkey level shortly after the hour with a coordinated attacking move. Zeki Çelik delivered low, and Eren Elmalı’s backheel helped the ball reach the scorer.

¡QUÉ JUGADÓN ARMÓ TURQUÍA! La armaron a puro toque, Elmali asistió de taco y Aral Simsir definió en el segundo palo contra Italia. GOLAZO. 📺 Toda la #NationsLeague por ESPN en el Plan Premium de #DisneyPlus https://t.co/kV3ygtP479
— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) October 5, 2026

Therefore, the equaliser came through combinations around Italy’s defensive line rather than an isolated long-range attempt. Turkey found an unmarked attacker after moving the ball through the box.Mancini had already introduced Michael Kayode, Calafiori, and Pio Esposito around the 55th minute. Those changes gave Italy fresh options in defence and at centre-forward.

Then Nicolò Barella sent a free kick toward the far post. Calafiori rose to head Italy back in front only minutes after the equaliser.

¡PERO QUÉ CABEZAZO! Riccardo Calafiori ganó en las alturas y marcó su primer gol con la Selección de Italia. ¡Rápida reacción contra Turquía! 📺 Toda la #NationsLeague por ESPN en el Plan Premium de #DisneyPlus https://t.co/J8ENa6Jcoe
— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) October 5, 2026

The Calafiori header also marked his first goal for the senior national team. Moreover, it came to Bologna, where he previously played club football. Turkey appealed over contact with Elmalı, but the goal stood. Italy immediately regained the advantage instead of allowing the visitors to settle.

Seven points sharpen the November contest

The hosts led 1-0 at halftime and finished with a 3-1 victory. However, the contest stayed open until Pio Esposito’s late goal. Football Italia’s match statistics record 15 shots against Turkey’s 14. Meanwhile, the hosts led 6-5 in attempts on target despite having only 45% possession.

Those figures describe a competitive contest rather than a procession. Italy found the stronger finishing moments while Turkey retained enough attacking activity to threaten a draw.

After Italy vs Turkey, the Nations League standings place France first on ten points and Italy second on seven. Belgium follows on six, while Turkey remains bottom without a point. Consequently, Italy holds a narrow advantage over Belgium with two matches remaining. Quarter-final qualification still requires further results against the group’s other leading sides.

UEFA’s fixture list confirms the Italy November fixtures: France at home, then Belgium away. Those meetings test this recovery against opponents challenging for the same places.

Goalkeeping and substitutes secure Italy’s win

Donnarumma helped protect the lead when Turkey increased its pressure late on. In particular, he denied Salih Özcan’s effort from outside the area with an airborne save.

However, Italy still had uncomfortable moments before the third goal removed the immediate danger. The goalkeeper’s contribution belongs alongside the scorers when assessing why the hosts won.

¡ITALIA VUELVE A SONREÍR! Pio Esposito aprovechó el rebote y marcó el 3-1 frente a Turquía, para dar pelea en la Nations League. 📺 Toda la #NationsLeague por ESPN en el Plan Premium de #DisneyPlus https://t.co/wyy6qCM6cz
— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) October 5, 2026

Pio Esposito finished close to goal after Alessandro Romano’s ball across the area. Moreover, his arrival from the bench gave Mancini another scoring contribution from a replacement. Calafiori had already delivered the decisive goal, also after entering as a substitute. Together, those contributions show why the changes mattered beyond managing tired legs.

The pattern suggests Italy benefited from different threats at different stages of the match. A striker attacked a rebound, a defender met a free kick, and another forward finished late.

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