Türkiye and Italy seek to bounce back from opening-day defeats when they clash in a crucial UEFA Nations League A Group 1 fixture at Bursa's Yüzüncü Yıl Atatürk Stadium Monday night.
Both nations find themselves playing catch-up early in the campaign following far from ideal starts. Türkiye made their debut at the League A level Friday after consecutive promotions from Europe's third tier, but suffered a 1-0 defeat against France in Kocaeli.
Italy, meanwhile, fell 2-0 to Belgium in Rome, marking a frustrating return to the bench for head coach Roberto Mancini.
With early group leaders France and Belgium meeting simultaneously in Brussels, both Türkiye and Italy face mounting pressure to pick up points in the second of four rapid-fire fixtures during the current international window.
The match features a compelling subplot on the touchline as Türkiye head coach Vincenzo Montella faces his former Sampdoria and Italian national team colleague, Roberto Mancini.
Montella, who earned 20 caps and scored three goals for Italy during his playing career, is aiming to steady his side after a difficult run of results.
Following a group-stage exit at the 2026 World Cup, where the Crescent-Stars lost to Austria and Paraguay before defeating the United States, Friday's loss to France marked Türkiye's third defeat in four matches.
For Mancini, the fixture represents an immediate test after returning to lead the Azzurri following a three-year stint in Saudi Arabia.
He was reappointed in July, taking over from Gennaro Gattuso after Italy suffered an unprecedented third consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup.
Mancini replaced Gattuso following another playoff disaster, while interim manager Silvio Baldini had previously overseen a youthful squad in summer friendlies.
He named an expanded 34-man squad featuring several fresh faces, but Italy's tactical overhaul yielded immediate frustration. Conceding goals midway through each half against Belgium at the Stadio Olimpico, Italy suffered their first competitive loss to the Belgians since 1972.
Türkiye will be forced to make a change in goal after starting goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır was shown a straight red card following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review in the second half against France.
Çakır, who held France goalless for nearly an hour before Kylian Mbappe scored the opener, will serve a suspension, handing the starting gloves to Altay Bayındır.
Montella remains severely depleted in midfield and attack. Italy-based stars Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Kenan Yıldız are sidelined with injuries, while midfielder Orkun Kökçü remains out with an ongoing toe problem after missing the opener against France.
Former Juventus defender Merih Demiral will captain Türkiye, with Real Madrid's Arda Güler expected to direct the attack.
Italy also enter the contest with significant squad absentees. Defender Federico Dimarco, midfielder Bryan Cristante, and Juventus captain Manuel Locatelli are out injured.
While defender Alessandro Bastoni returns from a suspension, forward Mateo Retegui was omitted from the selection. Moise Kean and Gianluca Scamacca are vying with brothers Sebastiano and Pio Esposito for starting positions up front.
Mancini’s squad options also include new additions Alessandro Romano, who chose Italy over Switzerland, and Brentford defender Michael Kayode. Italy will be captained by 27-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who brings 84 senior international caps to the side.
Monday’s encounter marks the 17th meeting between Türkiye and Italy in international football. Türkiye remain winless against the Azzurri, holding a record of five draws and 11 defeats while being outscored 29 to 10. The two sides last met in an international friendly on June 4, 2024, playing to a 0-0 draw.
The fixture represents Türkiye’s 656th senior international match. Across 655 previous matches (366 competitive, 289 friendlies), Türkiye have posted 260 wins, 244 losses, and 151 draws, scoring 906 goals while conceding 933.
Montella will take charge of his 38th match as Türkiye head coach. Across his previous 37 games (28 competitive, nine friendlies), Montella has guided the national team to 21 wins, 11 losses and five draws.
The match will mark Türkiye’s 11th international fixture hosted in Bursa, where they hold a record of four wins, two draws, and four losses.
It will be their third match at the Yüzüncü Yıl Atatürk Stadium since Bursaspor moved to the venue in 2016, following a 2-0 victory over Bulgaria in November 2025.
English referee Michael Oliver will officiate the match, assisted by Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring, with Darren England serving as the fourth official. Stuart Attwell will oversee Video Assistant Referee duties, supported by AVAR Matthew Donohue.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 9:45 p.m. local time (6:45 p.m GMT) and will be broadcast live on ATV.
