Turkey v Italy Preview and Betting Tip

Finally, it’s here. Euro 2020 may be starting a year late but hopefully, it will have been worth waiting for. The first match of the tournament is a very interesting one in Group A. Turkey v Italy kicks off proceedings at 8 pm on Friday night in Rome. The high-flying Italians will be hoping to make home advantage count and they are warm favourites at around 1/2. The Turks can be backed at a generous looking 7/1 while the draw is chalked up at 3/1. Can Mancini’s men start their campaign in style? Or will Turkey play the role of party poopers in Rome? It should be a cracking game, check out our preview and betting tip below.

Turkey

This Turkish team are quietly fancied in some quarters to do well at Euro 2020. They have previous for punching above their weight at major tournaments in the not so distant past. The last time they qualified for a World Cup in 2002 they made it all the way to the semis and finished 3rd. At Euro 2008, they also made it to the semi-finals and again finished in 3rd place. They exited at the Group Stage at Euro 2016 but they will be hoping to perform better at this year’s tournament.

This is a relatively young squad with lots of potential. Celik, Yazici and old stager Yilmaz all played important roles for Lille who were Ligue 1 Champions. Centre back Demiral plies his trade at Juventus and they can also call upon Soyuncu and Kabak in defence. Their midfield is strong too with the likes of Under, the previously mentioned Yazici and AC Milan playmaker Calhanoglu all set to feature prominently.

Yilmaz fired in 16 goals for Lille last season and he looks sure to lead the line with distinction for Turkey. He is the only outfield player aged over 30 in the squad and this young and exciting outfit will be looking to him for inspiration. If they can get off to a good start vs Italy belief will grow that they can go on a run at Euro 2020 and it would be foolish to write them off. History is against them though, as they have never beaten Italy before.

Italy

At Euro 2016 Italy were eliminated on penalties in the quarter-finals after a 1-1 draw vs Germany. Apart from the centre back positions, this is basically a new team. The transition hasn’t been easy and the Italians failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup under former boss Giampiero Ventura, but Roberto Mancini has come in and turned things around. Since taking the reins in May 2018, Italy have lost just twice, in a friendly vs France and in the Nations League vs Portugal, in June and September 2018 respectively.

That 1-0 loss to Portugal sparked a superb run of form (W22 D5 L0) and they will be hoping to maintain their unbeaten status for the whole of Euro 2020. There is a nice blend of youth and experience in this Italy squad. Donnarumma is one of Europe’s hottest properties and the former AC Milan custodian is doing a good job of filling the void left by Buffon. Bonucci and Chiellini are the old warhorses at the back and they are still hugely effective.

Jorginho and Verratti are both quality midfielders and with those two in tandem, Italy won’t have many issues retaining possession. However, their main worry is scoring goals. Immobile and Insigne are decent strikers but when it gets to the business end of the tournament, they may well struggle against better defenders. They still should be able to navigate the group stages quite comfortably, though this is a trickier opener than the odds might suggest.

Turkey v Italy Recent Results

Betting Tip

This is not as simple a task for Italy as the bookies’ prices are making it out to be. Yes, they have home advantage but they are up against a young, talented side and they may not have it all their own way. They certainly deserve to be favourites but you won’t get rich quick backing them at odds of 1/2. Instead, I am going to recommend a bet on the anytime goalscorer market and at odds of 4/1, Burak Yilmaz fits the bill.

The 35 year old frontman fired Lille to Ligue 1 glory last season, scoring 16 goals in 23 starts. In his last four appearances for Turkey he has scored five goals, including a sensational hat-trick in the 4-2 World Cup qualifier win vs the Netherlands. If Turkey are going to find the net, he looks by far the most likely candidate and at odds of 4/1, Burak Yilmaz to score at any time is the recommended bet.

Turkey v Italy Betting Tip: Burak Yilmaz to score anytime @ 4/1 (BetVictor, Coral, Betfair)

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