Arab News | Italy rebound in Turkiye as France win late in Belgium

PARIS, France: Italy crushed Turkiye 4-1 in the Bursa rain to drag themselves into contention in Nations League Group A1, as leaders France struck late to win 1-0 in Belgium on Monday.

In Brussels, both teams had wasted chances before Michael Olise scampered through the home defense after 88 minutes and drilled a shot inside the post.

It gave Zinedine Zidane a second victory to start his long-awaited debut as France coach.

Roberto Mancini’s return to run Italy had ended in Roman jeers on Friday as Italy lost their opener at home to Belgium.

His team dazzled in the downpour in the first half in Turkiye as the hosts quickly slid three goals behind with errors in their muddy goalmouth.

Twice Altay Bayindir struggled to reach low cross-shots from the right.

After nine minutes, the Celta Vigo goalkeeper scooped a drive from Pio Esposito round the post.

From the corner, Bursa-born fullback Zeki Celik, who plays for Juventus in Italy, swung wildly at a low near-post cross deflecting the ball to Alessandro Bastoni. The Inter Milan center back lunged to fire into the roof of the net.

After 23 minutes, Bayindir flapped at an identical cross-shot from Michael Kayode into the path of Lazio’s Davide Frattesi, who tucked the ball home.

Intricate Italian passing around the penalty area repeatedly found a player free on the right of box.

When Brentford’s Kayode again found himself in that space, his shot for the near post eluded the plunging Bayindir.

Turkiye gave the restless crowd hope in the 47th minute when Gianluigi Donnarumma was drawn to Oguz Aydin beyond the far post. He found Baris Yilmaz who gleefully drilled into an empty net.

The comeback lasted five minutes. Tottenham’s Sandro Tonali, in space, hit the post but Pio Esposito of Inter Milan dived to nod home the rebound.

Galatasaray attacker Yilmaz curled a shot home but Aydin of Besiktas, bouncing up and down in front of Man City’s Donnarumma, was offside.

Monday’s slick display may ease the pressure on Mancini, while piling it on his former Sampdoria club-mate and fellow ex-Italian international Vincenzo Montella.

Montella led Turkiye to the quarter finals at Euro 2024 but his side finished bottom of their group at the summer’s World Cup.

In League B, Sweden won for the second time in Group 4, beating Poland 3-1 in Solna. Benjamin Nygren of Celtic pounced at the far post after eight minutes to give the hosts the lead.

Sebastian Szymanski of Rennes levelled for Poland with a shot that hit both posts before going. Brigton’s Yasin Ayari restored the home lead when he finished neatly even as he was losing his footing. Arsenal’s Victor Gyokeres added the coup de grace.

Bosnia and Herzegovina are second after winning 4-2 against Romania in Bucharest.

In Group 2, Northern Ireland remained top after they drew 0-0 at home against Hungary while Georgia and Ukraine also ended goalless in Tbilisi.