Italy, Finally We're Making Progress: Mancini, Change Is Possible

It might be coincidence, or perhaps not at all: football rewards those brave enough to change. The Italy team that overwhelmed Turkey in Bursa, in a stadium filled with bitter tears for Vincenzo Montella – unfairly urged to resign by local fans – is the complete opposite of the sluggish, disorganized, and confused squad trounced by Belgium just three days prior. At the Olimpico, Mancini had stuck with the core of the Bosnian defeat, fielding eight players from Zenica. Had it not been for Donnarumma, the loss would have been a rout. Not to mention Kean out wide, Barella and Mancini off form, Romano played out of position, and so on. In Bursa, the coach changed eight of the starting eleven, injecting a surge of energy with the powerful Kayode, Sebastiano Esposito, Fagioli, Ruggeri, Frattesi, Raspadori, and finally, thank goodness, at long last, liberation from the shackles of the incurable national team we've had to endure for years.

The comparison to the 2021 European champion Italy is intriguing, yet also demanding. We must avoid getting ahead of ourselves and thinking the difficult times are definitively over. However, we've waited so long to witness such a spectacular first half, with three goals scored in 27 minutes by Bastoni (a redemption after the disastrous night in Zenica), Kayode, and Frattesi (his ninth national team goal after two years without scoring). The Azzurri led in duels, and the interplay between Esposito and Esposito – the first brothers to play together for the national team in 26 years since Pippo and Simone Inzaghi – was notable.

In the second half, the team transitioned from possession to combat, effectively stifling Turkey's resurgence after Yilmaz's goal, only to be silenced by the fourth goal from Pio Esposito, who maintains a spectacular scoring rate: 6 goals in 11 appearances. From Bursa, an invigorated Italy returns, buoyed by an excellent collective performance, with standout displays from Kayode (a goal and an assist) and the return of Tonali, Fagioli, and Frattesi. On October 2nd, in Saint Denis, the real test comes against a perfect-scoring France led by Zidane. The path back to greatness is still very long. The key is to persist.