Giacomo Raspadori’s double and a Bryan Cristante header gave Italy the 3-2 win in Turkey, but Gianluigi Donnarumma showed his very best and worst with howlers and fine saves.
This was a friendly valid only for the FIFA world rankings, but a consolation prize nobody wanted for losing the World Cup play-off semi-finals, to Portugal and North Macedonia respectively. The Azzurri released Marco Verratti, Jorginho, Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne, Domenico Berardi, Gianluca Mancini, Luiz Felipe, Alessandro Florenzi and Matteo Politano.
It was a bad start, as former Roma winger Cengiz Under dribbled down the right and nutmegged Gianluigi Donnarumma at the base of the near post. That will go down as a howler from the goalkeeper, as it wasn’t even particularly powerful and squirmed through his legs.
Giacomo Raspadori’s shot was blocked off by a crucial Merih Demiral recovery and Gianluca Scamacca flicked it wide of the near post. Giorgio Chiellini had the ball in the net on a corner with his acrobatic volley, but play had already been stopped for a push.
Scamacca’s back-heel flick to Matteo Pessina was intercepted at the last moment, while Chiellini charged down Hakan Calhanoglu’s strike.
Italy equalised with their first goal in three games, a Cristiano Biraghi free kick curled onto the head of Bryan Cristante.
Just three minutes later, they turned it around completely. It was a poor clearance from the goalkeeper intercepted by Sandro Tonali, Raspadori shrugged off Demiral and drilled through the shot-stopper’s legs.
Donnarumma was fortunate to get away with another horrible error, as his clearance thumped Enes Unal in the face and ricocheted back towards goal.
However, the goalkeeper remains one of the world’s best shot-stoppers and got his fingertips to a Calhanoglu scorcher.
After the restart, Donnarumma again pushed a Calhanoglu free kick round the post, while substitute Mattia Zaccagni’s shot was deflected wide of the near stick.
Sassuolo defender Kaan Ayhan’s cushioned volley on a corner was smothered, while Scamacca fired over before Raspadori completed his brace. It was a Biraghi knockdown and Raspadori was ready on the rebound.
Donnarumma again showed his lack of confidence, as he went to gather a weak header on a corner, not realising Serdar Dursun was ready to flick it on from a couple of yards.
However, moments later the PSG goalkeeper flew for a fantastic save to deny Dursun the equaliser, showing cat-like reflexes on the header.
Turkey 2-3 Italy
Cengiz Under 4 (T), Cristante 35 (I), Raspadori 38, 70 (I), Dursun 83 (T)