Turkey vs Italy - How to watch the opening game of the UEFA Euro in over 180 countries

June 10, 2021 By Oscar Rojas

Topics: UEFA Euro, UEFA Euro 2020, Turkey, Italy, TV Schedules, TV Listings

The Azzurri want to begin their quest for a new title with a win against a team that could shock the world with their style of play. Follow this clash with our detailed guide.

After a one-year wait, the UEFA Euro 2020 will get underway in Italy, where Roberto Mancini's team will host Turkey in a unique experience in this type of competition. Eleven nations will host the tournament to celebrate its 60th anniversary, and it will be up for the Crescent Stars and the Azzurri to kick things off.

The Italian side will get to this game with an impressive streak of 27 games without a loss. During that streak, Mancini's men have beaten teams such as Poland, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic. while also drawing matches against Portugal or Ukraine. Out of those 27 matches, the Azzurri have won a whopping 22. The team's last competitive match prior to their debut in the UEFA Euro ended in a 2-0 win over Lithuania in March.

As for Turkey, the team led by Senol Gunes has only lost one of their last thirteen games, although they had to endure a five-game streak with nothing but draws between September and November 2020. The team's most recent competitive clash concluded with a three-all draw against Latvia.

The hosts for this game will not be able to field their best players, as Marco Verratti is still recovering from a knee injury he picked up a month ago. Added to that, Lorenzo Pellegrini may be out for the entire tournament after he reportedly suffered a muscular injury. The rest of Mancini's squad should feature players such as Gianluigi Donnarumma, Leonardo Bonucci, or Lorenzo Insigne.

On the other hand, Turkey's coach seems to have chosen wisely, as all of their players are ready to be considered for this game. With that in mind, Senol Gunes could include Burak Yilmaz, Hakan Calhanoglu, or Merih Demiral in his starting lineup.

This will not be the first meeting between these teams in history. Prior to Friday's match, Turkey and Italy's national teams have played thirteen games, with Italy winning nine of those. In fact, Turkey have never been able to defeat Italian teams in any kind of competition, and Friday's clash would be a great place to start for them.