Football Italia Show: Convincing Azzurri win, Doumbia and Vergara are here to stay

Italy secured a 3-1 win over Turkiye in Bologna, guaranteeing themselves a seeded spot for the Euro 2028 draw and moving one point clear of Belgium ahead of November’s clashes with France and Belgium.

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Roberto Mancini rotated heavily, retaining only Donnarumma and Bastoni from the previous starting XI, and Italy inevitably lost some fluidity. However, Scamacca still made the difference, scoring with a powerful strike despite looking less polished in possession than Pio Esposito.

Doumbia was among the standout performers. The midfielder grew into the game, helping create Scamacca’s opener and repeatedly attacking space with late runs from midfield. He came close to scoring twice and produced an encouraging display on his first Italy start.

Turkiye caused problems after the break by targeting the space behind Italy’s defence whenever Bastoni or Mancini stepped forward to press. Meanwhile, Vergara impressed more than Maldini, further underlining his potential.

After the match, Mancini stressed that youngsters like Romano and Vergara need another 10 to 15 games at this level to keep developing.