Brief

Roberto Mancini's Italy thrash Turkey 4-1 in Nations League debut

In his second game in charge, Mancini guided Italy to a dominant victory, while France secured a narrow win over Belgium.

By Felo News Desk · Published Tue, 29 Sep 2026 23:28:26 GMT

Italy recorded a 4-1 victory over Turkey in the UEFA Nations League on Monday, Sep. 28, 2026, in Roberto Mancini's second match as head coach, according to the Associated Press via winnipegfreepress.com.

What happened

The match in Bursa saw Italy take the lead within nine minutes when Alessandro Bastoni converted a corner after Zeki Çelik failed to clear. Davide Frattesi doubled the lead in the 22nd minute, and Brentford defender Michael Kayode added a third five minutes later, after a shot was parried by Turkish keeper Altay Bayındır. Kayode also set up the goal, making his debut a double‑impact performance. Turkey pulled one back early in the second half through Barış Alper Yılmaz, but Italy restored a three‑goal margin three minutes later when Pio Esposito headed in a rebound after Sandro Tonali’s effort hit the post. Esposito later sealed the win with a second goal, assisted by his brother Sebastiano, marking the first sibling start for Italy since 1915.

What the reports add

The Associated Press highlighted that this was the first time in five years Italy scored three goals in the opening half‑hour of a competitive match. It also noted Italy’s previous 2-0 loss to Belgium on Friday, a game in which France, coached by Zinedine Zidane, earned a 1-0 win over Belgium without Kylian Mbappé.

What was said

The article did not contain direct quotations, but it referenced statements from the match report that Italy’s performance was “the best in a long time” under Mancini.

How it came about

Mancini took over the Azzurri after a six‑month period of failing to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup. His first match was a 2-0 loss to Belgium, but the team rebounded quickly against Turkey. France’s parallel story, covered in Felo’s recent pieces, involved new coach Zinedine Zidane’s debut against Turkey and a subsequent win over Belgium, setting up a Friday clash with Italy.

Key facts

Italy beat Turkey 4-1 in the Nations League on Sep. 28, 2026. (winnipegfreepress.com)
Roberto Mancini was in his second match as Italy coach. (winnipegfreepress.com)
Michael Kayode scored and assisted in his debut. (winnipegfreepress.com)
Sebastiano and Pio Esposito both started, the first brothers for Italy since 1915. (winnipegfreepress.com)