Italy hit the woodwork with Bryan Cristante, but otherwise Luciano Spalletti was left with more questions than answers after a 0-0 friendly draw with Turkey.
The Azzurri had their first test match ahead of the Euros, also playing Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sunday June 9. Francesco Acerbi, Giorgio Scalvini, Nicolò Zaniolo and Destiny Udogie were all ruled out of the tournament by injury, with Gianluca Scamacca benched as his last game with Atalanta was on Sunday. Vincenzo Montella’s Turkey included Inter midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu and Juventus teenager Kenan Yildiz.
See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.
Lorenzo Pellegrini’s free kick was wide and Guglielmo Vicario in his second cap came tearing out into midfield to nod it clear.
Mateo Retegui just failed to connect with the Federico Dimarco corner, but Turkey came closer when Kaan Ayhan turned a free header over from Calhanoglu’s set play.
Bryan Cristante won it back and surged forward, his cross inches over the head of Retegui.
Turkey were forced into a change, as Ozan Kabak was stretchered off with a knee injury just before half-time.
Italy had a huge opportunity in the final kick of the first half, as Cristante’s header on a Lorenzo Pellegrini corner thumped the near post.
Substitutes almost made the difference straight away, as Andrea Cambiaso’s cross from the right missed the Pellegrini diving header and ricocheted wide off Mattia Zaccagni’s knee.
Retegui scuffed a Dimarco cross straight at the goalkeeper, then attempted an over-ambitious over-head kick from the Pellegrini cross.
Guglielmo Vicario had to make a tricky save when the corner was flicked on for Merih Demiral’s volley at the back post, while Cambiaso’s first touch let him down on a smart cross.
Giacomo Raspadori had a chance with the last kick of the game when gathering from Cambiaso’s roll across, but the shot was smothered by the goalkeeper.
Italy 0-0 Turkey
Italy: Vicario; Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Bastoni, Dimarco (Calafiori 85); Jorginho (Fagioli 62), Cristante; Orsolini (Cambiaso 46), Pellegrini (Frattesi 68), Chiesa (Zaccagni 46); Retegui (Raspadori 68)
Turkey: Altay Bayindir; Celik (Ozkacar 66), Bardakcki, Kabak (Demiral 42), Muldur; Calhanoglu, Ayhan (Ozdemir 66); Aydin (Abdulkadir Omur 46), Yazici (Kocku 55), Yildiz; Baris Alper Yilmaz (Semih 81)
Ref: Gishamer (AUT)
Scalvini’s absence will have repercussions. Mancini is simply too agricultural at international level.
Boring they won’t beat Albania at this rate.
Thank you Seria A for destroying Italian futball!
You are all such drama queens.
Both teams looked sluggish, like they’ve been doing a week of intense training. We only played a handful of the first 11 anyway.
I remain confident we will make the Semis atleast