Italy starlet Pio Esposito seals Azzurri win over Turkey in Nations League

BOLOGNA – Italy rounded off their first chunk of Nations League fixtures with a comprehensive 3-1 win over Turkey at the Dall’Ara Stadium in Bologna on Oct 5 to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.

Gianluca Scamacca put the Azzurri ahead after 26 minutes only for Aral Simsir to level just after the hour. Italy hit back, though, with goals from Riccardo Calafiori and Pio Esposito tying up the win.

Italy go second in Group A1, three points behind leaders France and one point ahead of Belgium. Turkey prop up the table and are still looking for their first point.

“Even though we had made a lot of changes, there was fatigue all around, and we struggled a bit,” said coach Roberto Mancini who started with recent debutants Alessandro Romano and Issa Doumbia in midfield and the previously uncapped Antonio Vergara on the wing.

“But we did well to score, and then to score again right after they equalised.

“We have to keep playing. We’re currently in second place, and we’ll likely have to fight to secure that spot in Belgium.”

Italy are rebuilding under Mancini, who has returned for a second spell as coach of a nation who have failed to qualify for the last three World Cups. They beat Turkey 4-1 in the reverse fixture on matchday two before drawing 1-1 with France in Paris.

The Turks went into the game underpowered with Vincenzo Montella still without several key players including the suspended Arda Guler as well as injured pair Kenan Yildiz and Hakan Calhanoglu.

After a subdued start it was the Turks who showed most promise early on with Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma having to move smartly to keep out sharp efforts in quick succession from Ozan Kabak and Salih Ozcan.

‘Overjoyed’

In the 26th minute, however, it was the home side who found the back of the net. Giovanni Di Lorenzo curled a cross in from the right flank, which took a little deflection before Scamacca fired the ball past Ugurcan Cakir in the Turkey goal.

It was the Atalanta striker’s second international goal after the one he scored against England three years ago.

“I am overjoyed,” he said afterwards. “Not so much about the goal, but rather the result, given that winning was crucial for us.

“We knew it wouldn’t be easy, because Turkey are an aggressive team, but we played an excellent match.”

Turkey showed some drive early in the second half and were rewarded with an equaliser just after the hour when Zeki Celik made a fine run down the right and crossed into the box for Simsir to slam the ball home.

But parity lasted just a couple of minutes as former Bologna defender Calafiori got on the end of a free-kick to head the Italians back in front.

Esposito wrapped up the victory three minutes from time with his seventh goal in 13 games – the 21-year-old also scored in the reverse match in Turkey six days earlier. AFP