For the first time in sixteen years, two Cagliari players are starting for the national team. Daniel Maldini and Alessandro Romano will start in Italy's match against Turkey tonight at 8:45 PM . The midfielder is back after missing last Friday's trip to France due to rotation. The attacking midfielder won the ballot with Nicolò Cambiaghi ("a local favorite," given the match is in Bologna) and will be part of a brand-new attacking trio with Gianluca Scamacca and Antonio Vergara. Cagliari president Tommaso Giulini and coach Fabio Pisacane will also be watching their match in the stands at the Dall'Ara.
Compared to Saint-Denis, Roberto Mancini made a whopping nine changes out of eleven: only captain Gianluigi Donnarumma remains in goal and Alessandro Bastoni—coming off two consecutive goals, including the one that opened Italy's 4-1 win in Turkey last Monday—in defense. Cagliari's Nicolò Barella also returns to the starting lineup, while former Rossoblu player Sebastiano Esposito is on the bench .
These are the official lineups for Italy-Turkey : it's the fourth matchday of League A of the Nations League, a victory would put the Azzurri in an excellent position.
Italy (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, G. Mancini, Bastoni, Ruggeri; Barella, Romano, Doumbia; Vergara, Scamacca, Maldini.
On the bench: Carnesecchi, Vicario, Kayode, Calafiori, Cambiaghi, Tonali, FP Esposito, Fagioli, Inácio, Frattesi, Scalvini, S. Esposito.
Coach: Roberto Mancini.
Turkey (4-3-3): Çakır; Çelik, Bardakcı, Ozan Kabak, Kadıoğlu; Elmalı, Özcan, Can Kahveci; Şimşir, Akgün, Yüksek.
On the bench: Bayındır, Şengezer, Demiral, Topçu, Elmaz, Aktürkoğlu, Tıknaz, Gül, Fakılı, Kabasakal, Aydin, Eskihellaç.
Coach: Vincenzo Montella.
