Calafiori and Esposito lift Italy past Turkey into second place

Italy moved into second place in Nations League Group A1 with a 3-1 victory over Turkey at Bologna's Stadio Renato Dall'Ara on Monday, October 5. Gianluca Scamacca, Riccardo Calafiori and Pio Esposito scored for the hosts, according to Adnkronos, as Roberto Mancini's team collected their seventh point from four matches and moved above Belgium in the standings.

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Turkey threatened before Italy established their lead. Football Italia reported that Gianluigi Donnarumma saved efforts from Ozan Kabak and Yunus Akgun, while Scamacca had an effort ruled out for offside. The striker then put Italy ahead in the 26th minute, finishing with a close-range volley after the ball rebounded off a defender. Italy took that one-goal advantage into the interval.

The visitors found an equaliser through Aral Simsir in the 61st minute. Zeki Celik's delivery from the byline was helped on by Eren Elmali, leaving Simsir to finish at the far post. Italy responded soon afterwards when substitute Calafiori headed in Nicolo Barella's free-kick. Football Italia identified it as the defender's first goal for the senior national team.

Donnarumma subsequently kept out a Salih Ozcan effort as Turkey sought another equaliser. Italy finally added a third in the 87th minute through substitute Esposito, who finished from close range after an attacking sequence involving Issa Doumbia and Alessandro Romano. The late goal gave the hosts a two-goal margin after they had twice needed to defend a narrower lead.

Adnkronos reported that France's 4-1 victory over Belgium in the group's other match left France first with 10 points, Italy second with seven and Belgium third with six. Turkey remained bottom without a point. The combined results put Italy one point ahead of Belgium and three behind France at the end of the fourth round of fixtures.

The next group matches are scheduled for November 12, when Italy host France in Milan and Turkey face Belgium, according to Adnkronos. Italy will return to competition with second place in hand, while Turkey will still be seeking their first points of the campaign after four defeats.