Italy defeated Turkey 3-1, moving up to second position in Group A1 of the UEFA Nations League.

Italy National Team defeated Turkey 3-1 on the fourth matchday of Group A1 UEFA Nations League at Dall'Ara Stadium, Bologna, on Tuesday. This victory lifts Gli Azzurri up to 2nd place in the group Standings.

Gianluca Scamacca opened Italy's lead in the first half. Turkey mounted a fightback when Aral Simsir equalised early in the second half, but Italy responded quickly and retook full control of the match.

Riccardo Calafiori restored Italy's advantage before Francesco Pio Esposito sealed the win in the final minutes of the game, securing three critical points for Gli Azzurri in the Group A1 race.

Italy broke the deadlock in the 26th minute. Scamacca was perfectly positioned to connect with a close-range volley, Putting the home side 1-0 ahead.

Turkey pushed for an equaliser for the remainder of the first half, but Italy's defence held firm to protect their lead going into the half-time break.

The match shifted after the interval. Turkey found an opening in the 61st minute: Zeki Celik's cross from the right flank deflected off Eren Elmali, before Aral Simsir finished the chance cleanly for a goal.

The 1-1 scoreline only lasted four minutes. Italy retook the lead in the 65th minute when Calafiori scored with a headed finish.

This goal came from Nicolo Barella's free kick delivered into the penalty area. Calafiori won the aerial duel to guide the ball past the Turkish Goalkeeper.

Italy were not satisfied with the narrow lead. They continued building organised attacks to extend their advantage, while Turkey pushed forward desperately to chase an equaliser.

Gli Azzurri's pressure paid off in the 87th minute. Pio Esposito converted a close-range opportunity to extend the score to 3-1.

With this result, Italy have collected seven points from four matches and sit 2nd in Group A1, remaining firmly in contention with group leaders France.

Turkey meanwhile remain rooted at the bottom of the standings with zero points. This defeat in Bologna further cripples their chances of progressing from the group.

This match showcased Italy's ability to handle match pressure. After conceding their lead mid-second half, the side managed by Roberto Mancini stayed composed and struck twice more to lock in the full three points.

Match Lineups:

Italy (4-3-3): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Kayode 55'), Gianluca Mancini, Alessandro Bastoni, Matteo Ruggeri (Riccardo Calafiori 56'); Nicolo Barella (Sandro Tonali 70'), Romano, Doumbia; Vergara (Davide Frattesi 84'), Gianluca Scamacca (Pio Esposito 56'), Daniel Maldini.

Turkey (3-4-2-1): Ugurcan Cakir; Zeki Celik, Abdulkerim Bardakci, Ozan Kabak, Ferdi Kadioglu; Eren Elmali, Ismail Yuksek (Kerem Akturkoglu 79'), Salih Ozcan, Irfan Can Kahveci (Elmaz 70'); Yunus Akgun, Aral Simsir (Fakili 70').