Italy vs Turkey - prediction, team news, lineups

Wrapping up a quickfire quartet of UEFA Nations League fixtures, Italy and Turkey volition clash successful Bologna connected Monday evening.

Both teams way down the apical 2 successful League A Group 1, and pursuing a large triumph for the Azzurri successful Bursa, they indispensable conscionable for a 2nd clip successful the abstraction of 8 days. 

Match preview

Three years aft leaving La Nazionale for Saudi Arabia, Euro 2020 victor Roberto Mancini is backmost successful complaint of the Italian nationalist team, and determination are already immoderate signs of progress.

Though his 2nd spell began with a dismal location decision against Belgium, a younger broadside past travelled to Turkey and produced an emphatic 4-1 win, with rising stars Pio Esposito and Michael Kayode among the scorers.

Italy came flying retired of the blocks successful Bursa, wherever they surged into a three-goal pb earlier the break, and that built immoderate content up of a Friday nighttime showdown with France.

Mancini's men met Zinedine Zidane's broadside successful Paris, relying connected antiaircraft grit and 7 saves from inspired skipper Gianluigi Donnarumma to clasp retired for a draw, having equalised soon aft falling behind.

Restored to the squad successful Turkey - aft serving a prohibition for his reddish paper successful Italy's latest World Cup playoff catastrophe - Alessandro Bastoni amazingly scored for the 2nd consecutive game.

That effect near the Azzurri successful 3rd spot connected 4 points, 2 down Belgium and 3 adrift of Les Bleus. 

France are acceptable to sojourn Milan adjacent month, earlier Italy reason their Group 1 run with a pugnacious travel to Brussels, truthful they indispensable question maximum points connected Monday.

Including a 3-0 triumph en way to Euros glory successful 2021, the Italians person won 3 of their past 4 meetings with Turkey, truthful past is not connected the visitors' side.

Neither is existent form, arsenic the Crescent-Stars are heading to Emilia-Romagna without a constituent connected the board, leaving them stone bottommost of Group 1 astatine the halfway stage. 

Following back-to-back promotions from the Nations League's 3rd tier, Turkey precocious made their debut astatine League A level, erstwhile they were beaten by France successful Kocaeli.

Then came that dense location nonaccomplishment to Italy, earlier Friday's 3-0 reverse successful Belgium: the second was a 5th decision successful six games for Vincenzo Montella's men, who made an aboriginal exit astatine this summer's World Cup. 

So, portion Mancini has earned immoderate praise, his erstwhile Sampdoria teammate is present nether fire, with Montella's squad facing a combat to past successful League A.

A potent striker successful his playing days, Turkey's caput manager scored 3 times for the Italian nationalist broadside successful 20 appearances, past made comparatively small interaction arsenic a manager successful Serie A. 

Now bound for Bologna, Montella volition beryllium successful dire request of points astatine Stadio Dall'Ara, arsenic different nonaccomplishment would surely marque relegation inevitable.

Italy Nations League form:

Turkey Nations League form:

Team News

After Mancini made conscionable 2 changes to his Italy lineup connected Friday, with Riccardo Calafiori and Moise Kean coming successful for Mateo Ruggeri and the injured Giacomo Raspadori, much squad rotation could beryllium connected the cards.

It remains to beryllium seen if Pio Esposito - who has scored astatine a complaint of 1 extremity each different crippled crossed 12 planetary appearances - starts alongside member Sebastiano again. 

Napoli guardant Antonio Vergara impressed arsenic a second-half substitute connected his debut, portion Gianluca Scamacca and Kean tin besides vie with the Espositos for enactment successful the last third.  

After being benched against France, experienced players specified arsenic Nicolo Barella and Gianluca Mancini are among those who could travel backmost into contention.

Meanwhile, Turkey indispensable bash without their astir influential player, arsenic Arda Guler was booked precocious connected successful Belgium and volition present service a one-match ban. Galatasaray striker Baris Alper Yilmaz is besides suspended, truthful Montella has to reshuffle his beforehand line.

The visitors were already missing 2 Italy-based stars, with Hakan Calhanoglu and Kenan Yildiz some injured. 

In Calhanoglu's absence, erstwhile Juventus defender Merih Demiral volition skipper the Crescent-Stars again.

Italy imaginable starting lineup:

Donnarumma; Kayode, Scalvini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Barella, Tonali, Frattesi; Vergara, P. Esposito, Kean

Turkey imaginable starting lineup:

Cakir; Kabak, Demiral, Celik; Kadioglu, Ozcan, Yuksek, Elmali; Akgun, Akturkoglu; Gul

We say: Italy 2-0 Turkey 

After making a sluggish commencement to Group 1, Italy person since enactment successful 2 beardown performances, portion Turkey are yet to adjacent prime up a point.

Demoralised and depleted, different decision could spell the extremity for Montella, who was spared the sack aft an unsuccessful World Cup.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.