Türkiye’s senior national football team lost 3-1 away to Italy in its fourth match of UEFA Nations League A Group 1. The game was played at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium in Bologna on October 5, 2026. Aral Şimşir scored Türkiye’s only goal, while Gianluca Scamacca, Riccardo Calafiori, and Pio Esposito were on target for Italy.
Italy took a first-half lead
The match began at 21:45 Türkiye time. Italy moved ahead in the 26th minute. Giovanni Di Lorenzo delivered from the right and Scamacca’s initial header was blocked. The forward reacted to the rebound and sent a shot off the crossbar and into the net. There were no further goals before the interval, leaving the home side 1-0 in front.
Türkiye started with Uğurcan Çakır, Zeki Çelik, Ozan Kabak, Abdülkerim Bardakcı, Ferdi Kadıoğlu, Salih Özcan, İsmail Yüksek, Eren Elmalı, İrfan Can Kahveci, Aral Şimşir, and Yunus Akgün. Italy’s starting lineup included Donnarumma, Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Bastoni, Ruggeri, Barella, Romano, Doumbia, Vergara, Scamacca, and Maldini.
Şimşir equalized before Italy responded
Türkiye drew level in the 61st minute. Yunus Akgün released Zeki Çelik on the right side of the penalty area. Zeki sent the ball across the six-yard box and, after a touch from Eren Elmalı, Şimşir finished at the far post. The goal came in Şimşir’s first official appearance for the senior national team.
The equalizer lasted only three minutes. Nicolo Barella delivered a free kick from the right and Calafiori headed Italy back in front at the far post. Türkiye then came close to making it 2-2 in the 78th minute, when Salih Özcan’s first-time shot forced Gianluigi Donnarumma to push the ball behind for a corner.
Pio Esposito settled the result in the 87th minute. During a fast Italian attack, Romano drove a low ball into the six-yard area and Esposito applied the final touch for 3-1. The score did not change again before the final whistle.
Türkiye remain without a point
The victory lifted Italy to seven points and second place behind France. Türkiye have now lost all four of their matches in their first campaign in the top tier of the Nations League and remain bottom of the group without a point. The earlier results were a 1-0 home loss to France, a 4-1 home defeat by Italy, and a 3-0 away loss against Belgium.
France lead the group with 10 points from four matches. Italy have seven and Belgium have six. Türkiye have two fixtures remaining and will try to record their first points of the campaign. The team will host Belgium at İzmir’s Gürsel Aksel Stadium on November 12 before visiting France at Stade Atlantique in Bordeaux on November 15.
Attention turns to the final group matches
Coach Vincenzo Montella said after the match that his players had competed well but decisive moments shaped the outcome. Midfielder Salih Özcan also acknowledged that simple mistakes are punished quickly at this level. For Türkiye, the Bologna match produced the milestone of Şimşir scoring in his first official senior appearance, but it did not change the team’s position in the standings.
The official result, scorers, venue, and group table were recorded by the Turkish Football Federation and matched reports from Anadolu Agency, Demirören News Agency, and The Guardian. Türkiye’s remaining schedule is now the immediate focus as the team seeks to finish the campaign with a response in November.
