Turkey vs Italy prediction 28.09.2026 | Nations League

Turkey are making progress in recent years. After three campaigns in lower levels of the Nations League, Vincenzo Montella's team finally qualified for the strongest tier. Also, Turkey returned to the World Cup, where they finished with three points in three matches and failed to qualify for the knockout phase. Turkey are probably the weakest team in the Nations League group, but they surely see a chance of reaching the knockout phase. A few days ago, Turkey opened the competition with a 1-0 home defeat to France. The teams were pretty even at that time, and it wouldn't be undeserved if Turkey secured one point.

Although Turkey lost, the head coach, Vincenzo Montella, was satisfied. He stated, "It was a very close fight. We put in a very good performance. I'm very disappointed with the score. We played bravely and showed our spirit on the court. We deserved more."

Turkey's goalkeeper received a red card late in the previous match and will miss the upcoming tie against Italy. In his absence, Altay Bayindir should start.

Italy are in the biggest crisis ever. Although they are regular in the Euros, it is shocking that the Azzurri missed the previous three World Cups. Now they are at the start of a new chapter and need a strong Nations League campaign to get back on track. However, in the opening round, Italy lost 2-0 at home against Belgium. The hosts had good spells, but their inefficiency cost them the match.

After a defeat against Belgium, Italy's head coach, Roberto Mancini, was understandably disappointed. He commented, "The first half was below expectations, but the second was not. The team played very well until the counterattack that made it 2-0. We had five or six chances to equalize. When you lose, no one is happy."

Probably Italy's best defender, Alessandro Bastoni, skipped the previous match due to suspension. He should return to the starting lineup on Monday in Izmir, replacing Diego Coppola.