Second time lucky, and how. Three days after striking a false note in their opener against Belgium, Italy were back in tune in Bursa. They produced a performance worthy of the Notti Magiche as they swept Türkiye aside 4-1 to claim their first three points in the Nations League group. It was an emphatic and rejuvenating victory, providing a welcome surge of optimism after the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup and the false start in Rome. The slick passing combinations of EURO 2020 returned as the Azzurri controlled proceedings and entertained, with goals from Bastoni, Frattesi and debutant Kayode effectively settling the contest inside the opening half-hour. On this evidence, no target should be beyond them, starting with a place in the Nations League quarter-finals. It is best not to get carried away, however. For now, Roberto Mancini can enjoy the first victory of his second spell as Italy head coach, 1,198 days after his previous win in charge. “The team played well,” he said shortly after the final whistle. “They all played a great game. Congratulations to the boys; I’m happy for them. They were excellent for 60 minutes, then dropped off a little. It was a difficult match. Now we need to recover our energy before going to Paris.” Pio Esposito, who shared the pitch with his brother Sebastiano for the first time, dedicated his sixth Italy goal to someone special: “It’s for my grandmother, who is going through a difficult few days. It was wonderful to share the pitch with my brother, and I hope we can do it again. I tried not to put any more pressure on him, and I hope he enjoyed every moment.” The post and then the Belgian goalkeeper had denied him at the Olimpico, but he and the rest of the team made amends in Bursa. “We wanted to show what we can do. You always need enthusiasm when you wear this shirt. Football does not always go the way we want, but we must always show this attitude.”

THE ESPOSITO BROTHERS GET THEIR CHANCE. Mancini made eight changes from the match against Belgium and handed debuts to three more players. The entire defence was new, with Bastoni and Scalvini in the centre and debutants Kayode and Ruggeri at full-back. Frattesi and Fagioli joined Tonali in midfield, while Sebastiano and Pio Esposito lined up alongside Raspadori in attack. They became the fourth pair of brothers to play together for Italy, 26 years after Pippo and Simone Inzaghi. Without Çalhanoğlu and Yıldız, Montella turned to the creativity of Arda Güler behind Yılmaz and Can Uzun.

AZZURRI SYMPHONY. Amid heavy rain and deafening whistles from the Turkish supporters, Italy began with the right authority. Tonali dropped between the two central defenders in possession, while Raspadori moved back into midfield to help the Azzurri play out from the back. The Atalanta forward registered the first effort towards Bayındır’s goal (5’). The goalkeeper then stretched to keep out Pio Esposito’s low angled shot, but Italy took the lead from the resulting corner. Çelik missed his attempted clearance from Ruggeri’s low delivery, and Bastoni finished like a seasoned striker, stretching to send a left-footed effort under the crossbar (9’). It was an almost cathartic goal for the Inter defender, five months after his red card on that painful night in Zenica. While Italy had stuttered through the first half against Belgium, the Azzurri put on a show in Bursa. The second goal came at the end of a superb passing move, with Frattesi reacting quickest after Bayındır parried Kayode’s effort (22’). Italy seemed to be flying, while Türkiye struggled under Montella’s concerned gaze. Another flowing move, almost a carbon copy of the second goal, brought the third as Pio Esposito supplied the assist for Kayode (27’). Türkiye left the pitch to whistles from their own supporters, which appeared to rouse them for the second half.

TURKISH PRIDE. Seeking a response from his players, Montella introduced Bardakcı, Yüksek and Aktürkoğlu. Mancini, meanwhile, was forced to replace one of Italy’s standout performers, Jack Raspadori, with Cambiaghi. Türkiye scored with their first chance of the match as Barış Yılmaz capitalised on a lapse in the Azzurri defence and converted Aydın’s pass into an empty net (46’). The hosts committed bodies forward in search of a way back into the contest, allowing Italy to strike on the counter. Cambiaghi raced down the left and found Tonali, whose effort hit the post before Pio Esposito converted the rebound with a diving header (50’). It was his sixth goal in 11 Italy appearances, an impressive return. The Azzurri remained vulnerable at the back as Yılmaz was booked for simulation before finding the net again, only for the assistant referee’s flag to bring Italy relief. Mancini then replaced Sebastiano Esposito with Doumbia. The match became increasingly stretched, with Italy at risk of conceding again but Türkiye also close to collapse as Kayode narrowly missed out on a historic debut brace. Mancini introduced Romano for Fagioli and Scamacca for the younger Esposito brother. A clever piece of play from Arda Güler, Türkiye’s best performer alongside Yılmaz, presented Aktürkoğlu with an opportunity, but he fired over from near the penalty spot. It was another warning for an Italy side playing with a little too much abandon. Mancini sensed the danger and tightened things up, sending on Di Lorenzo for Frattesi and pushing Kayode further forward on the right. Arda Güler did his best to compensate for Yıldız’s absence, but it was too late to mount a comeback. Oliver’s final whistle confirmed a victory that had never truly been in doubt. Italy travel to Paris to face France on Friday before meeting Türkiye again in Bologna on 5 October. The light is back on, and the future can look bright again. The French test will tell us more about the Azzurri’s ambitions.

TÜRKIYE 1-4 ITALY (HT: 0-3)

TÜRKIYE (3-4-3): Bayındır; Çelik, Demiral (Bardakcı 46’), Kabak; Aydın, Kökçü (Yüksek 46’), Özcan (Tiknaz 75’), Elmalı; Güler, Yılmaz (Gül 80’), Uzun (Aktürkoğlu 46’). Unused substitutes: Sengezer, Kocuk, Akaydın, Kahveci, Akgün, Kadıoğlu, Eskihellaç. Head Coach: Montella.

ITALY (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Kayode, Scalvini, Bastoni, Ruggeri; Frattesi (Di Lorenzo 82’), Fagioli (Romano 75’), Tonali; Raspadori (Cambiaghi 46’), P. Esposito (Scamacca 75’), S. Esposito (Doumbia 62’). Unused substitutes: Carnesecchi, Vicario, Calafiori, Kean, Mandragora, Vergara, Ghilardi. Head Coach: Mancini.

Referee: Oliver (England). Assistant Referees: Burt and Mainwaring (England). Fourth Official: England (England). VAR: Attwell (England). AVAR: Donohue (England).

Goals: Bastoni (Italy) 9’, Frattesi (Italy) 22’, Kayode (Italy) 27’, Yılmaz (Türkiye) 46’, P. Esposito (Italy) 50’.

Bookings: Uzun (Türkiye), Yılmaz (Türkiye), Kabak (Türkiye).

GROUP A1 RESULTS AND STANDINGS

Türkiye 1-4 Italy
Belgium 0-1 France

Standings: France 6 points; Belgium and Italy 3; Türkiye 0.