On Monday, Turkey and Italy meet in a UEFA Nations League A clash at the Matli Stadyumu Atatürk Spor Kompleksi, with both sides eager to erase the sting of opening-round defeats and get their campaigns back on track.
Turkey come into this fixture in uneven form as they adapt to life in Europe’s top tier after earning back-to-back Nations League promotions. Their latest game ended in a tight 1-0 loss to France, a match that turned when goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır was shown a costly red card late on. Before that, Turkey’s 2026 World Cup run delivered mixed results: a lively 3-2 win over the United States, but also disappointing group-stage losses to Paraguay (0-1) and Australia (0-2).
Turkey team news
Altay Bayındır is expected to start in goal for Turkey, with first-choice keeper Uğurcan Çakır suspended after his dismissal against France.
Head coach Vincenzo Montella is dealing with a stretched squad, with several important players unavailable through injury. The absence of Italy-based playmakers Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Kenan Yıldız significantly reduces Turkey’s creativity, while midfielder Orkun Kökçü is also a major doubt because of a persistent toe problem.
To compensate, Montella is likely to move Real Madrid’s Arda Güler into a more central playmaking role, tasking him with controlling the tempo and linking midfield to attack.
At the back, experienced centre-back Merih Demiral will lead the side as captain, partnering Abdülkerim Bardakcı.
Out wide, Turkey will lean on the speed and directness of Ferdi Kadıoğlu and Kerem Aktürkoğlu to pull the Italian defence apart and create space in this key Nations League encounter.
Turkey predicted lineup
Possible Turkey starting XI: Bayindir; Celik, Demiral, Bardakci; Aydin, Ozcan, Yuksek, Kadioglu; Guler, Akturkoglu; Yilmaz
When will the match kick off?
The match will kick off at 7:45pm BST on Monday, 28th September.
How to watch Turkey vs Italy?
In the United Kingdom, the Turkey vs Italy Nations League match will be shown live on Amazon Prime Video UK via its Pay-Per-View (PPV) service on Monday night.
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