Italy beat Türkiye 3-1 in the league phase of the UEFA Nations League
Reviewed by Elison · Mon 5 Oct 2026UEFA Nations League · League A
ItalyFULL-TIME
TürkiyeMonday 5 October 2026 · 20:45
Our score 2-0MissedHot tip Italy to win✓ Won
Italy secured a 3-1 victory over Türkiye in UEFA Nations League action, a result that underlined the Azzurri’s ability to find a clinical edge when it mattered most. Despite being outpossessed for large stretches of the contest, Italy made their chances count and ultimately pulled clear in the closing stages to claim a convincing three-point haul.
How the game unfolded
Italy took the lead in the 26th minute when Gianluca Scamacca opened the scoring to make it 1-0. Scamacca was then booked in the 42nd minute, and Matteo Ruggeri followed him into the referee’s notebook in the 47th minute at the start of the second half.
Zeki Çelik was booked for Türkiye in the 55th minute. Italy made a pair of changes at 56 minutes, with Riccardo Calafiori coming on for Ruggeri and Pio Esposito replacing Scamacca. Türkiye pulled level in the 61st minute when Aral Simsir scored, assisted by Eren Elmalı, to make it 1-1. Italy responded quickly: Calafiori restored the lead in the 64th minute, converting an assist from Nicolò Barella to make it 2-1.
Both sides made changes in the second half. Abdulkerim Bardakcı was booked for Türkiye in the 81st minute. Italy sealed the result in the 87th minute when Pio Esposito, who had come on earlier, scored with an assist from Alessandro Romano to make it 3-1.
The numbers
The statistics painted an intriguing picture that ran somewhat counter to the final scoreline. Türkiye earned nine corner kicks to Italy’s three and registered 14 total shots to Italy’s 15 — a remarkably level figure in terms of overall attempts, despite Türkiye holding 55% of possession and completing 496 accurate passes from 554 to Italy’s 394 from 451.
Where Italy made the difference was in efficiency. The Azzurri registered six shots on goal and scored three times, while Türkiye managed five shots on goal and converted just once. Italy’s goalkeeper was called into action on four occasions, compared to three saves made by the Türkiye goalkeeper. Both teams picked up two yellow cards apiece, and neither side was reduced to ten men.
Italy did find themselves caught offside five times — a figure that reflected their willingness to push forward — while Türkiye were flagged on zero occasions throughout the match. Italy conceded 11 fouls to Türkiye’s nine, with both sides competing hard across a lively 90 minutes.
Conclusion
Italy’s 3-1 win over Türkiye was a testament to their ruthlessness in front of goal. Türkiye controlled the ball and created decent volumes of chances, but Italy’s ability to convert key moments — through Scamacca, Calafiori and Esposito — ultimately proved the decisive factor. Three goals from three different scorers told the story of a well-rounded attacking display that earned Italy a deserved Nations League victory.
