Following his first victory in his second term with the Azzurri against Turkiye in the Nations League, Roberto Mancini quickly turned his attention to Italy’s upcoming match against France.
Italy secured a commanding 4-1 victory in Bursaspor, with three quick goals in the first 27 minutes overwhelming Vincenzo Montella’s team.
Alessandro Bastoni opened the scoring for the visitors in the ninth minute, and Davide Frattesi soon doubled the lead after a well-executed passing play in the 22nd minute.
Michael Kayode, in his international debut, added a third goal, marking the first time Italy scored three goals in the first half-hour of a match since a World Cup qualifier against Lithuania in September 2021.
Baris Alper Yilmaz briefly threatened a comeback early in the second half, but Francesco Pio Esposito restored Italy’s three-goal cushion in the 50th minute, sealing a strong victory for the team.
This win marked Italy’s first away match victory by a three-goal margin since November 2019, when they defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-0.
Crucially, it was Mancini’s first win in 1,198 days, following a previous success in June 2023 against the Netherlands.
Despite the jubilant win, Mancini was already contemplating their next challenge, an away match at Stade de France against Zinedine Zidane’s team, who are currently leading Group A1 after a recent victory over Belgium.
“We need to concentrate on the next match, recover our energy, and we’ll bring some fresh players to Paris,” Mancini stated to RAI Sport.
Big win #TURITA #Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/DDK1IZTsF8
— Italy (@Azzurri_En) September 28, 2026
This victory represented a significant improvement over Mancini’s earlier match in his second tenure, where Italy suffered a 2-0 defeat to Belgium at the Stadio Olimpico.
Italy’s expected goals (xG) against Belgium were just 1.7 from 21 shots, but they elevated that to 2.4 from 14 attempts in a more effective performance against Turkiye.
Mancini did mention that Giacomo Raspadori was substituted at halftime due to an injury, but he couldn’t confirm Raspadori’s availability for the upcoming matches against France and Turkiye.
“The pitch conditions were affected by rain throughout the day, making it expected for Turkiye to respond strongly,” Mancini noted.
“Everyone performed well; Raspadori was substituted due to a problem.” He added: “The team played aggressively, kept possession, and executed our strategies effectively. Raspadori followed our instructions and had a solid game.”
Fan Take: This win signifies a much-needed turnaround for Italian football, offering hope and momentum as they gear up for a tough match against France. For soccer fans, it highlights Mancini’s potential to rejuvenate the team, reigniting interest in Italy’s prospects on the international stage.
Source: www.soccernews.com
