Italy beat Turkey 3-0 in Euro 2020 opener

Rome, Jun 11 (EFE).- Italy got their Euro 2020 campaign off to the best possible start with a 3-0 win here Friday against Turkey, who failed to put a single shot on target.

Turkey were technically the home team and the crowd of 16,000 at Rome’s Olimpico stadium included a significant contingent of Turkish supporters, but they had few occasions to cheer.

Making their return to a major international competition after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, the Azzurri had 64 percent possession and outshot the Turks 24-8.

But Roberto Mancini’s men created only two serious chances in the first half. Lorenzo Insigne sent an effort just wide in the 17th minute, while Turkish keeper Ugurcan Cakir had to be sharp to stop Giorgio Chiellini’s header off a corner in the 21st.

Eight minutes into the second half, defender Merih Demiral, who plays his club football for Juventus, was unlucky to have Domenico Berardi’s cross take a deflection off him and blow past Cakir to put his team down 1-0.

Immobile made it 2-0 for Italy in the 66th minute, knocking in the rebound after Cakir turned aside a shot by Leonardo Spinazzola, and went on to assist on Insigne’s goal in the 79th minute.

With their ninth victory in a row, Italy take the early lead in Group A. The other two teams in the group, Wales and Switzerland, square off Saturday in Baku. EFE

am/dr