Italy Edge Past Turkey To Pile Pressure On League A Rival

Calafiori, Scamacca, Esposito score as Italy beat Turkey in Bologna

After weathering early Turkish pressure, Italy seized control through Scamacca, survived a second-half setback when Simsir equalised, and quickly wrestled back momentum as Calafiori and Esposito struck to seal a hard-fought win.

Mancini's Italy make it two from two against Turkey with hard-fought win in Bologna...

Italy extended their unbeaten run against Turkey to 16 matches (W12, D4) with a 3-1 victory in Bologna in the UEFA Nations League.

Turkey began with freedom and intent, as Ozan Kabak tested Gianluigi Donnarumma from distance, with the Italian keeper also called upon to deny Salih Ozcan and Yunus Akgun.

Italy thought they had taken the lead against the run of play when Gianluca Scamacca was slipped through on goal and beat Ugurcan Cakir, only for the flag to go up for offside.

The striker did not have to wait long for his moment, though, giving the hosts the lead with just his second international goal - a ferocious volley off the underside of the crossbar from Giovanni Di Lorenzo's cross.

Turkey responded well after the break, and Aral Simsir almost capitalised when he rounded Donnarumma, but failed to get a shot away before the keeper recovered.

Cakir was equally alert at the other end, sticking out a leg to deny Issa Doumbia from close range.

With the contest finely poised, Turkey found an equaliser just after the hour, as Zeki Celik picked out Eren Elmali, whose flick to the back post left Simsir with a simple tap-in for his first international goal.

Italy hit back just four minutes later, as substitute Riccardo Calafiori broke his international duck to restore their lead. Nicolo Barella's free-kick was whipped to the back post, where the Arsenal defender rose above Elmali - who had conceded the set-piece - to loop his header beyond Cakir.

Turkey pushed for a leveller late on, and Italy had Donnarumma to thank for parrying Ozcan's powerful strike, before the Azzurri sealed the win on the counter through another substitute, Francesco Pio Esposito, who side-footed home Alessandro Romano's cross.

⏱️ 𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐎 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐄 🇮🇹🇹🇷 #ItaliaTurchia 3️⃣-1️⃣ 26’ Scamacca; 61’ Simsir; 64’ Calafiori; 87’ F.P. Esposito #NationsLeague #Nazionale #Azzurri #VivoAzzurro https://t.co/aGJW0ruxZ3

— Nazionale Italiana ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri) October 5, 2026

The result lifts Italy to second in Group A1, with a fifth win in their last seven home matches (L2). Turkey, meanwhile, remain pointless with just two games remaining and look almost certain to finish bottom and be relegated to League B.

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