Italy scored three goals in EURO game for the first time in their history as they swept aside Turkey in the opening game of UEFA EURO 2020 in Rome.
Italy laid down a marker in the opening game of EURO 2020 with their biggest ever win in the competition, but they were forced to bide their time in a frustrating first period. Wasteful finishing and a moment of brilliance from goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır to deny an emphatic Giorgio Chiellini header meant it was level at the break.
It did not stay that way for long after the restart. Eight minutes into the second half, Domenico Berardi drove into the area and thumped in a low cross with such venom that Merih Demiral could not adjust his body to deflect it clear, instead inadvertently sending it into his own net. The Azzurri were up and running.
Ciro Immobile opened his finals account 13 minutes later, pouncing on a loose ball and firing past Uğurcan. Turkey had no answer to the home side’s fluidity in Rome, and Lorenzo Insigne inflicted further damage when he curled in a wonderful third 11 minutes from time. Italy will take some stopping on this evidence.
Italy scored more than two goals in a EURO match for the first time in their 39th finals outing.
Team Line-ups:
Turkey: Uğurcan Çakır; Zeki Çelik, Merih Demiral, Çağlar Söyüncü, Umut Meraş; Okay Yokuşlu (İrfan Can Kahveci 65), Ozan Tufan (Kaan Ayhan 64), Yusuf Yazıcı (Cengiz Ünder 46), Kenan Karaman (Halil Dervişoğlu 76), Hakan Çalhanoğlu; Burak Yılmaz
Italy: Donnarumma; Florenzi (Di Lorenzo 46), Bonucci, Chiellini, Spinazzola; Barella, Jorginho, Locatelli (Cristante 74); Berardi (Bernardeschi 85), Immobile (Belotti 81), Insigne (Chiesa 81)
Source: uefa.com
