Roberto Mancini invents another Italy and reacts to the false start with Belgium at the Olimpico, with a resounding victory in Bursa: the 4-1 against Turkey rewards the courage to focus on young players - Kayode and Sebastiano Esposito on their debut for Italy - which is also the only way forward. It wasn't a play-off, the coach rushed to say before the kick-off, but in fact the victory against Montella's national team removes the danger of last place and relegation to Nations League B.
Above all, the result and performance (first half of dominance, second half of suffering and maturity) are a breath of fresh air and give time to the reconstruction planned by the coach. Turkey, moreover without its director Calhanoglu, is not Belgium, and France on Friday in Paris will be a more severe test; but not even Italy was the timid and cowardly team on Friday in Rome. Among the positive notes, the verve of Sebastiano Esposito (with his brother Pio recalling historic Italian pairs: the last from the 1st minute together in 1915, the Cevenini), the goal of the debutant Kayode, a Tonali on the rise. And then the goal that opened the scoring, by Bastoni, who returned to the national team six months after the dark night in Zenica. What proves Mancini right is an overall idea of the game, conceived and implemented, which kept Turkey in the corner for the entire first half: the 3-0 that ended it could have been even more rounded.
Mancini changes eight elevenths compared to Belgium, and is definitely a different national team not only in names. Bastoni and Scalvini are a more solid central pair, Kayode on the right and Ruggeri on the left push and cover; Tonali is more toned at the center of the game, assisted on the outside by Frattesi, the quicksilver of this early season and by Fagioli who thinks with the ball at his feet. Up front, Raspadori completes the trio in which the Esposito duo stands out. On the other side, Montella, without Yldiz as well as Calha, lines up with a 3-4-3, relying on the creativity of Arda Guler. But under the Bursa rain, Italy bites immediately: tighter units, quicker aggression, dribbling that gradually grows. Raspadori goes to shoot after just 5', but free to the right in the area opens the trajectory too much. The control of the field and the game materializes in the 9th minute: Frattesi catches Pio Esposito well on the edge, the right-footed volley is saved in the corner and on the serve, Bastoni in the center of the area steals time from the defense and raises it under the crossbar for 1-0. Turkey increases the pressure and Italy retreats, but the good ball for the second goal falls to the feet of Pio Esposito in the quarter of an hour: the center forward freed by a Frattesi-Celik rebound hesitates in front of the goalkeeper and is anticipated at the moment of the decisive serve. The Azzurri made amends in Mancini's eyes with the 2-0 action, choral and technical: the dense network of first passes at the limit frees Kayode from left to right, the goalkeeper does not hold back the shot and Frattesi hits the net at the far post in the 22nd minute. Immediately afterwards Uzun tries, but the Turks' first shot is a high shot. But in the 26th minute Italy sealed the deal: the action was a photocopy of the one that doubled the lead, Kayode closed it with a right-footed shot served by Pio Esposito in an identical position; 3-0 and Turkey is down. The blow is felt, Montella's team is unable to put together actions worthy of the name, and not only due to the Azzurri's pressing.
Around the half hour mark, Raspadori again shoots with his left foot following an assist from Ruggeri, then it's Sebastiano Esposito's turn to shoot - until then very lively on the left: Kayode's cross and a high volley with a right foot. Upon returning, Mancini only changes Cambiaghi for Raspadori, while Montella redesigns the defense (Demirali out, struggling greatly with Pio Esposito), midfield and attack with three additions: strong start for Turkey, which shortens after 1' following an error by the Azzurri defence, surprised by the change of play on Aidin who only catches Ylmaz in the area. But in the 5th minute Pio Esposito heads to restore the distance: Tonali's shot is blocked by the post and his header is the winner. The 4-1 partially extinguished the Turkish ardour, and it was lucky for the Azzurri that on Ylmaz's left-footed shot in the 10th minute Aidin was on the line with the ball offside, and the referee ruled it out. Turkey crushes Italy in their area, and in the 20th minute the coach sends in Doumbia for Sebastiano Esposito to give substance to the midfield, moving Frattesi to the forward line. Fatigue weighs on the two teams, the distances widen and in the 26th minute within 60'', first Kayode comes close to scoring, following a breakaway from Cambiagi, and then Ylmaz, blocked by Scalvini in the area. A quarter of an hour from the end, Mancini blocks Italy with Scamacca for Pio Esposito and Romano for Fagioli. In the final Arda Guler invents for the first time, in front of goal Akturkoglu wastes it by shooting high in front of goal. The Italian defense controls Arda Guler and gradually pushes the game to the final whistle. Appointment on Friday, at Zinedine Zidane's house.
