türkiye vs italy: Bursa showdown after opening losses
Arrives in Bursa with both sides under pressure after opening-day defeats. Turkey lost 1-0 to France, while Italy were beaten 2-0 by Belgium as the group race…
BURSA — türkiye vs italy brings two teams looking for a reset on Monday evening, with both sides already behind in their UEFA Nations League group after opening-day defeats. Turkey host Italy in Bursa at 19:45, and the result could shape how quickly each side can recover in a section that also includes France and Belgium.
Turkey fell 1-0 to France in their first-ever League A campaign, while Italy started under pressure after a 2-0 home loss to Belgium. Another slip would leave either side with a major climb ahead. Simple as that.
türkiye vs italy and the pressure to respond
For Turkey, the signs are mixed. Vincenzo Montella’s side have won nine of their last 13 home matches, with two draws and two losses, which gives them some cover in Bursa. But their defeat to France also ended a ten-match unbeaten home run in the Nations League, including play-offs, a streak that had produced six wins and three draws.
The bigger issue sits in attack. Turkey have scored more than once in only one of their six competitive matches in 2026, and they have conceded the opening goal in each of their last five games. That makes the first stage of the match feel especially important. If they fall behind again, the margin for error shrinks fast.
Arda Guler will be watched closely. The Real Madrid midfielder has scored 12 of his last 14 goals for club and country before half-time, a detail that points to how Turkey often need him to set the tone early. The home crowd in Bursa will expect that kind of spark from the start, not late in the night.
Italy need more than a reaction
Italy arrive with their own problems. Roberto Mancini’s second spell in charge began with a loss to Belgium, and that result marked Italy’s third defeat in their last four competitive matches. In a group where France and Belgium already sit in front of them, the Azzurri cannot afford another flat outing.
There is still reason for confidence away from home. Italy won all three of their away group-stage fixtures during the previous Nations League cycle, a record that suggests they can travel well when the game settles into their rhythm. They will need that version again in Bursa.
The lineup picture is already taking shape. BBC’s live match page listed Turkey’s Bayindir in goal, with Merih Demiral as captain, while Italy’s starting XI included Gianluigi Donnarumma, Raoul Bellanova, Riccardo Calafiori, Alessandro Bastoni and Destiny Udogie. The same live page also showed Turkey midfielder Yunus Aydin and striker Can Uzun among the names involved.
That matters because the first half may decide the night. Turkey have leaned on early goals from Guler before, and Italy’s recent results show a side that cannot sit back and hope the match turns their way. With both teams already chasing the group, Bursa is not just another stop. It is a test of how much room is left before the pressure starts to bite harder.
Goal reported the match would kick off at 19:45, with the live preview also noting ways to access streams through a VPN in regions facing geo-restrictions.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
