Calcio Society · https://calciosociety.news/opinion/italy-3-1-turkiye-calafioris-homecoming-and-a-bench-that-wins-games-155989
Italy 3-1 Turkiye: Calafiori's homecoming and a bench that wins games
06.10.26, 17:45
Ten days ago, Italy were booed off at the Stadio Olimpico. On Monday night in Bologna, 30,040 people watched them win. A 3-1 win over Turkiye, the first home victory of Roberto Mancini's second spell, closed the October window with seven points from four games and second place in League A Group 1.
It was not Italy's best performance of the fortnight. For long spells it was scrappy, tired and short of rhythm. But this team is learning how to win when things are not going perfectly, and at the Dall'Ara it was the substitutes who made the difference.
Nine changes and a slow start
Mancini promised rotation and delivered it again. Only Gianluigi Donnarumma and Alessandro Bastoni kept their places from the draw in Paris. In came Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Gianluca Mancini and Matteo Ruggeri in defence, Nicolò Barella, Alessandro Romano and Issa Doumbia in midfield, and a front three of Antonio Vergara, Gianluca Scamacca and Daniel Maldini. Vergara and Doumbia were making their first starts for Italy.
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Andrea Locorotondo
Editoris an SJA- and AIPS-accredited sports journalist with venue access across UEFA and FIFA competitions. He is the founder and editor of Calcio Society, and co-founded the independent Aston Villa title The Holte Roar.