Italy Move to Second Place with 3-1 Win Over Türkiye in Bologna

Key Takeaways:

• Italy extended their unbeaten streak against Türkiye to 16 consecutive matches following a 3-1 victory in Bologna
• Gianluca Scamacca, Riccardo Calafiori, and Francesco Pio Esposito scored for Italy, while Aral Simsir netted his maiden international goal for Türkiye
• Italy moved up to second in Group A1, while Türkiye remain bottom without a point and face imminent relegation

Match Analysis

Italy further consolidated their dominance in their historical encounters with Türkiye, securing a 3-1 win in Bologna in the UEFA Nations League and taking their unbeaten record against their opponents to an impressive 16 matches, comprised of 12 wins and 4 draws.

Türkiye started the encounter energetically, determined to challenge their hosts with early attempts from Ozan Kabak, Salih Ozcan, and Yunus Akgun. Gianluigi Donnarumma was quickly called into action, making crucial saves to keep the Azzurri on level terms during the opening exchanges.

Against the flow of play, Italy initially believed they had secured the lead through Gianluca Scamacca, only to be denied by an offside flag. The forward, however, made no mistake moments later, converting Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s delivery with a stunning volley that rattled in via the underside of the crossbar. This strike marked only the second goal in Scamacca’s international career.

Three points in the bag 💰

#ITATUR #Azzurri #VivoAzzurro https://t.co/l0geHTelab

— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) October 5, 2026

Second Half Developments

After the interval, Türkiye maintained their attacking approach, with Aral Simsir nearly capitalising by rounding Donnarumma, though the Italian goalkeeper managed to recover before a shot could materialise. At the opposite end, Ugurcan Cakir was alert to Issa Doumbia’s close-range effort, ensuring the contest remained finely balanced.

The persistent visitors eventually found an equaliser just past the hour mark. Zeki Celik delivered a cross that Eren Elmali expertly flicked to the far post, where Simsir was on hand to score his first goal for the national team.

Italy responded with resolve and quickly regained the lead four minutes later. Substitute Riccardo Calafiori rose above Elmali at the back post to connect with Nicolo Barella’s well-placed free-kick, registering his first international goal and restoring the hosts’ advantage.

Late Drama and Decisive Moments

As Türkiye intensified their pursuit of a second equaliser in the closing stages, Donnarumma was decisive once again, parrying a powerful shot from Ozcan. The Azzurri capitalised on the ensuing counterattack when substitute Francesco Pio Esposito finished at close range from Alessandro Romano’s delivery, sealing the outcome at 3-1.

With this result, Italy moved up to second in Group A1 following their fifth victory from their last seven home fixtures. Meanwhile, Türkiye’s campaign remains without a point with just two games to play, leaving them almost certain to finish bottom of the group and face relegation to League B.