Mancini praises Italy’s possession after 4-1 win over Turkey

Roberto Mancini praised Italy’s control of possession after they secured a dominant 4-1 victory over Turkey in the second round of the Nations League.

Italy’s Group A match was played at Bursa in Turkey, with the result giving them three points. France lead the group on six points, while Italy are level with Belgium and Turkey remain bottom without a point.

“We played on a pitch where it had been raining all day,” Mancini told Italian broadcaster Rai 1.

The Italy manager also provided an update on Giacomo Raspadori, who was replaced during the match.

“The whole team played a good game, but Raspadori suffered an injury and we substituted him as a precaution,” he said.

Mancini was pleased with the way his side approached the game, particularly their ability to retain the ball and play through the middle of the pitch.

“We played well, kept possession and passed the ball a lot through the centre. We had to think carefully about this difficult match,” he added.

Italy’s four-goal haul secured their first victory by a margin of three goals since November 2019, when they beat Bosnia 3-0.

It was also Italy’s first win with Mancini for 1198 days, dating back to their 3-2 victory over the Netherlands in June 2023.

Turkey, meanwhile, suffered their heaviest defeat in Nations League history.

Italy have still never lost to Turkey, with their record now standing at eight wins and four draws from their previous 12 meetings.

Mancini said his players would now have to recover quickly before facing the group leaders.

“We have to regain our energy and focus on the match against France,” he said.

The manager was also encouraged by the contribution of those making their first appearances for the national team.

“The new players played well, considering that it was their first match,” he added.

Italy will face France at the Stade de Saint-Denis in the French capital, Paris, on Friday 2 October.

Turkey will seek to respond when they travel to face Belgium in the third round of the group stage.