Italy Secures Its First Victory in the UEFA Nations League, Crushing Turkey 4-1

Italy finally claimed their first victory in the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League. Gli Azzurri came out sharp from kickoff, claiming a dominant 4-1 away win over hosts Turkey on Group 1 Matchday 2 at Ataturk Stadium, Tuesday WIB.

Alessandro Bastoni, Davide Frattesi, Michael Kayode and Francesco Pio Esposito scored for Italy. Turkey could only pull one goal back through Baris Alper Yilmaz early in the second half.

This result lifts Italy to 3rd place in the Group 1 Standings with 3 points. Turkey remain rooted at the bottom of the table with zero points, while France lead the group after collecting the maximum 6 points from their opening two matches.

Italy took full control of the game from the very first minute. Francesco Pio Esposito had the first clear chance after picking up a pass from Davide Frattesi, but his shot was parried by Turkey Goalkeeper Altay Bayindir.

Gli Azzurri's sustained pressure broke through in the 9th minute. From a corner kick, a loose ball created chaos inside the Turkish penalty box.

Bastoni was perfectly positioned to capitalize on the scramble. The Italian defender fired home from inside the area to put the away side 1-0 ahead.

Italy did not ease off the pressure. In the 22nd minute, they tested Turkey's defence once again with a strike from Michael Kayode.

Bayindir parried the shot, but the rebound dropped into a dangerous zone. Frattesi reacted quickest to latch onto the loose ball and double Italy's lead.

Five minutes later, the lead was extended further. This time Kayode got himself on the scoresheet, finishing off a perfectly weighted through ball from Esposito.

Turki attempted to build momentum via set pieces. Arda Guler delivered a free kick towards Baris Alper Yilmaz, but poor first touch from Yilmaz meant no proper threat was created.

Italy went into the half time break holding a comfortable 3-0 lead.

Turkey attempted to turn the tide of the match after the restart. Their efforts paid off in the 47th minute.

Oguz Aydin played a low cross into the Italy penalty area. Yilmaz met the delivery with a calm, controlled finish to cut the deficit to 1-3.

However, Turkey's hopes of mounting a comeback lasted just minutes. Three minutes later, Italy found the net once again.

Sandro Tonali struck an effort that bounced off the goalpost. Esposito headed home the rebound to restore Gli Azzurri's three goal advantage at 4-1.

Turkey did put the ball over the line in the 57th minute via Yilmaz, but referee Michael Oliver disallowed the goal for offside.

The hosts continued to search for openings to reduce the deficit. Kerem Akturkoglu created several dangerous moments, but Italy's defence remained disciplined throughout.

Giorgio Scalvini was a standout figure protecting Italy's lead. Behind the defence line, Gianluigi Donnarumma also put in an alert performance whenever Turkey applied attacking pressure.

Italy successfully held on to the 4-1 scoreline until the final whistle. This three points collected at Ataturk Stadium marks Gli Azzurri's first win of this UEFA Nations League campaign.

Team Lineups

Turkey (3-4-3): Altay Bayindir; Mehmet Zeki Celik, Merih Demiral (Abdulerim Bardakci 46'), Kaan Ayhan; Oguz Aydin, Orkun Kokcu (Ismail Yuksek 46'), Salih Ozcan (Demir Tiknaz 76'), Ridvan Yilmaz/Elmali; Arda Guler, Can Uzun (Kerem Akturkoglu 46'), Baris Alper Yilmaz (Gul 80').

Italy (4-3-3): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Michael Kayode, Giorgio Scalvini, Alessandro Bastoni, Ruggeri; Sandro Tonali, Davide Frattesi (Giovanni Di Lorenzo 82'), Nicolo Fagioli (Romano 76'); Giacomo Raspadori (Cambiaghi 46'), Sebastiano Esposito (Doumbia 63'), Francesco Pio Esposito (Gianluca Scamacca 75').