Türkiye's poor run continued with a 3-1 defeat to Italy in UEFA Nations League A. Vincenzo Montella's side suffered their fourth consecutive loss in the group, remaining rooted to the bottom with zero points after the match at Bologna's Renato Dall'Ara Stadium.

Italy took the lead in the 26th minute through Gianluca Scamacca. Türkiye managed to equalise in the 61st minute when Aral Şimşir headed home from an Eren Elmalı cross. The parity lasted just three minutes, however, as Riccardo Calafiori restored Italy's advantage in the 64th minute following an assist from Nicolò Barella. Pio Esposito sealed the win for the hosts in the 87th minute, converting a pass from Alessandro Romano to make it 3-1.

KEY MATCH NOTES

Despite enjoying 55% possession and taking 14 shots, Türkiye failed to make their dominance count. Italy were more clinical, registering six shots on target from 15 attempts. Türkiye's form in their last five official matches reads LLLLW, meaning one win and four defeats. This extends their current losing streak to four matches.

THE LINE-UPS

Montella opted for a 5-4-1 formation. The defence in front of goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır consisted of Ferdi Kadıoğlu, Zeki Çelik, Ozan Kabak, Abdülkerim Bardakcı and Eren Elmalı. Salih Özcan, İsmail Yüksek, İrfan Can Kahveci and Yunus Akgün operated in midfield, with Aral Şimşir as the lone striker. Second-half substitutes included Bartuğ Elmaz, İlhan Fakili, Kerem Aktürkoğlu, Deniz Gül and Oğuz Aydın.

Italy manager Roberto Mancini stated that this was his second win since returning as Italy coach. Türkiye's next international fixture is a friendly against Belgium on 12 November 2026. The team will now work to end this negative sequence before that match.

A controversial image has emerged from the bench during Türkiye's 3-1 loss to Italy. The Turkish Football Federation confirmed allegations that Emirhan Topçu was playing a tile game on his phone on the bench before the match. The federation stated, "An investigation into the matter has been initiated." Topçu did not feature in the Italy match. The team is preparing for its fixture against Belgium on 12 November 2026.

Coach Vincenzo Montella stated he will not resign following the 3-1 defeat to Italy. Montella said, "Over a three-year period, our players have achieved incredible things. I am proud to be here." Türkiye suffered its first four-match losing streak since 1988. The team is focused on the friendly against Belgium on November 12.