Turkey’s Probable XI: Montella’s Side Seeks First Nations League Points Away to Italy
Türkiye’s national team faces Italy away from home in its fourth UEFA Nations League A League, Group 1 fixture. Vincenzo Montella’s players are still looking for their first points after losing their opening three matches, while Italy will aim to build on its position in the group. Belgium, meanwhile, is reported to be second with six points.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 21:45 Turkish time at Bologna’s Renato Dall’Ara Stadium and will be broadcast live on ATV. Polish referee Szymon Marciniak will take charge, assisted by Tomasz Listkiewicz and Adam Kupsik. Karol Arys has been appointed fourth official.
Probable starting lineups
Türkiye: Uğurcan; Zeki, Ozan, Abdülkerim, Ferdi; İsmail, Salih; Yunus, Oğuz, Kerem; Deniz.
Italy: Donnarumma; Ruggeri, Bastoni, Mancini, Di Lorenzo; Doumbia, Romano, Barella; Vergara, Cambiaghi; Scamacca.
Türkiye’s projected XI reflects the challenge of trying to halt a losing run against a side with a strong recent record in this group. The visitors will need to be disciplined defensively and make the most of their attacking opportunities if they are to leave Bologna with a result.
The Turkish team began its campaign with a 1-0 defeat to France in Kocaeli, followed by a 4-1 loss to Italy in Bursa and a 3-0 defeat away to Belgium. The latest match is therefore an important opportunity to stop the slide and get the team’s first points on the board.
Italy’s results have also included a setback: after beating Türkiye 4-1, the Azzurri lost 2-0 at home to Belgium and drew 1-1 away to France. The teams will meet again after those first-round fixtures, with Türkiye looking to improve on its previous performance against Italy.
Arda Güler and Barış Alper Yılmaz suspended
Türkiye will be without two key players. Arda Güler and Barış Alper Yılmaz are suspended after receiving cards in the match against Belgium. Their absence limits Montella’s options, particularly in attack, and means other players are likely to be asked to take on greater responsibility.
There are also fitness concerns in the squad. Emirhan Topçu missed a training session because of knee pain and had to stop when the complaint returned. Can Uzun, who has discomfort in his hamstring, completed the opening part of training with the group before switching to an individual programme.
Neither player was included in the 23-man matchday squad. Okan Kocuk, Yusuf Akçiçek, Adil Demirbağ, Samet Akaydin, Emirhan İlkhan, Melih Kabasakal and Aral Şimşir were also left out.
Montella reaches a coaching milestone
The Italy fixture is set to be Montella’s 40th match in charge of Türkiye. Before this game, he had led the national side in 39 matches: 30 competitive fixtures and nine friendlies. His record stood at 21 wins, 13 defeats and five draws.
Türkiye has faced Italy 17 times in its history. The national team has yet to beat the Italians, recording five draws and 12 defeats. Across those meetings, Türkiye has scored 11 goals, while Italy has netted 33.
The teams will have more Nations League matches to play after this encounter. Türkiye is due to finish its group campaign in November, travelling to face France before hosting Belgium in İzmir. Those fixtures will determine whether the team can recover ground after its difficult start.
For Türkiye, the immediate task is to show a stronger response than in the first meeting with Italy. A compact shape, careful management of possession and sharper finishing could help the visitors compete, even with suspended players missing. A positive result would not erase the earlier defeats, but it could give the team valuable momentum heading into the final group matches.
*Note: The supplied material refers to both Belgium and Italy, but the match details, referee appointment, venue, broadcast information and listed lineups concern Türkiye’s game against Italy.*