Euro 2020: Turkey vs Italy in Rome to give the tournament liftoff
Italy are seeking to become European champions for the second time after lifting the trophy 53 years ago, while Turkey could be the surprise packet in Group A.
The biggest crowd in Italy in over a year and a half will descend on the Stadio Olimpico in the Italian capital at 5am on Saturday.
After embarrassingly failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, the Azzurri enter Euro 2020 on a 27-match unbeaten run. Turkey, on the other hand, were impressive on their path to qualification, finishing only four-points off tournament favourites France, including a 2-0 win over Les Bleus.
The renaissance of Italy has been built on the back of rock-solid defence. In the past eight games, the Azzurri have not conceded a goal and have kept 20 clean sheets in their last 32 matches since Roberto Mancini took the reins as coach.
Like Italy, Turkey are similarly stingy in defence, only allowing three goals in qualifying. They will likely form Juventus’ Merih Demiral and Leicester City’’s Caglar Soyuncu in central defence, with Okay Yokuslu at the base of midfield.
Players to Watch
Zeki Celik: The Lille man has attracted plenty of interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs following an impressive Ligue 1 season. He is the archetypal modern-day full-back, who gets up and down the pitch to assist in attack but doesn’t neglect his defensive responsibilities either.
Ciro Immobile: The Lazio forward has averaged 25 goals per season over his last five Serie A campaigns. He hasn’t quite translated his club form to the international stage for Italy, but this tournament gives him the opportunity to rectify that.
Key Stats
- Italy have never lost at the Stadio Olimpico at a major tournament.
- Turkey have never won their opening match at the Euro finals.
Best Bets
Both Teams To Score: No ($1.56)
Correct Score: Italy 2-0 ($6)
