Italy Italy have made eight changes for Türkiye vs Italy, with senior debuts handed to Matteo Ruggeri and Michael Kayode. Türkiye are missing Kenan Yıldız, Hakan Calhanoglu and Mert Muldur, so both teams arrive in Bursa having lost their openers and needing a response quickly.
Italy's reshuffle
The scale of the change is the main story. Roberto Mancini has gone with a heavily altered side after Italy's 2-0 defeat to Belgium, and the selection includes the Esposito brothers, with Sebastiano Esposito starting alongside Pio Esposito. That is a significant show of trust in the younger options, even with points already at a premium in Group A.
Italy's line-up also brings in Davide Frattesi, Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolò Fagioli. Mancini's call looks more like a reset than a tweak, which is fair enough after the opening loss, but it is still a big ask to ask that many new pieces to settle at once.
Türkiye's absences
Türkiye have their own problems. They lost 1-0 to France in their opener, and they are without Yıldız, Calhanoglu and Mert Muldur here. Ugurcan Cakir is suspended after being sent off in that defeat, so Altay Bayindir starts in goal.
Orkun Kokcu does make the XI despite toe trauma in his right foot. Arda Güler is also in the side, which gives Türkiye at least one top-level attacking outlet in a team that has already been forced to rearrange its shape.
The schedule does not leave much room to breathe. Türkiye go away to Belgium on 2 October and then host Italy on 5 October, while Italy head to France on 2 October and then travel to Türkiye three days later. This is already a group where both sides need points, and the team that handles its absences best will come out of Bursa in the better position.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
