Roberto Mancini ‘expected Italy to lose some fluidity’ after nine changes in the 3-1 victory over Turkiye, but has high hopes for Alessandro Romano.

The coach said that the biggest mistake would be underestimating Turkiye, and that proved a fair warning, because Vincenzo Montella’s side had the better of the first half.

After a couple of Gianluigi Donnarumma saves and a lot of Turkish possession, Gianluca Scamacca opened the scoring after a lucky ricochet and volleyed in from eight yards.

Indeed, it was no surprise when Aral Simsir scored a deserved equaliser, but Riccardo Calafiori’s first goal for his country and Pio Esposito’s final tap-in secured a 3-1 victory.

“Despite the changes, naturally there was also fatigue. We suffered at the start, but the lads did well to get it back on track, score again after the 1-1, so it was a good game as the fourth in such a short spell of time,” Mancini told RAI Sport.

There were nine changes to the starting XI that played in Paris, so that inevitably affected the performance in Bologna.

“The only certainty was that we would lose some of that fluidity, it was fully expected and predicted. We also had two players on yellow cards and the referee seemed inclined to book them again, so I took them off.”

Cagliari midfielder Alessandro Romano returned to the side and was used at times as a mezz’ala rather than a play-maker.

From a tactical formation and squad depth perspective, "Mancini: ‘Italy lack of fluidity was predictable’ after 9 changes against Turkiye" carries substantial tournament implications for international seeding and domestic campaign momentum. Coaching staffs are heavily weighing high-pressing efficiency (PPDA), defensive transition pace, and fixture fatigue management.

Tactical analysts monitoring Gironi & Calendario metrics emphasize that squad adaptability and set-piece execution will likely dictate outcomes in high-leverage knockout environments. Real-time match telemetry and tracking data continue to inform managerial decision-making.

Editorial Fact-Check & Verification Note: This briefing was curated, corroborated, and synthesized by the Mondiali 2026 Italia Editorial Desk. Readers following "Mancini: ‘Italy lack of fluidity was predictable’ after 9 changes against Turkiye" are encouraged to review the full primary source coverage linked below for complete historical context, direct quotes, and official statements.