Italy v Turkey: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Reigning European champions Italy will start their preparations for Euro 2024 on Tuesday, when they take on Turkey in Bologna in an international friendly.

Both teams will be competing in Germany this summer, with Italy drawn in Group B alongside Spain, Croatia and Albania, while Turkey were placed in Group F with Georgia, Portugal and the Czech Republic.

A lot will be expected of Italy as the defending champions, and they will hope to use Monday's friendly as a launchpad for a prosperous summer.

Italy v Turkey betting tips and predictions

Italy to win - 3/5

Italy's recent form under coach Luciano Spalletti has been encouraging, and the Azzurri are unbeaten in four games.

Since their last defeat to England in October, they have beaten North Macedonia and gained a 0-0 draw in Ukraine to secure qualification for the Euros, before winning their last two friendlies against Venezuela and Ecuador in March.

They have also been strong at home of late going into this friendly, winning three on the spin on home territory, while they have only lost one of their last seven in front of their own supporters, going down 2-1 to England in qualifying for Euro 2024 in March 2023.

Having missed out on World Cup qualification, Italy seem to have got back into a groove as they look to defend their title.

Although finishing second to England in qualifying, Italy were a force at home, winning three of their four home qualifiers, and that spells trouble for Turkey who are winless in three.

Vincenzo Montella's outfit were also thumped 6-1 in their most recent friendly in March, hardly a confidence boost for a trip to face the European champions.

Both teams to score - Yes - 4/5

Italy coach Spalletti may still be learning a little about his players following his appointment last August as he makes his final preparations for Euro 2024, but his side seem to be adjusting to his tactics well enough.

Roberto Mancini's decision to depart to Saudi Arabia caught some fans off guard, but Spalletti has steadied the ship since being handed the reins and his team should be well prepared for this summer's tournament.

Two friendlies on home soil will allow Spalletti to experiment and fine-tune any tactics before they play their opening match at Euro 2024, but there are still a few issues to iron out for the former Napoli, Roma and Inter coach.

Italy, who are traditionally known for their defensive strength, have kept only four clean sheets since the start of 2023. Turkey may have lost heavily against Austria, but Montella's team were not easy to beat in qualifying, topping their group as they scored in seven of their eight games, with 14 goals netted in total.

The Crescent Stars have scored in nine of their last 10 games in all competitions, and will look to do so again as they look to regain some confidence from that Austria defeat.

Italy boast an unbeaten record in the head-to-head, with nine wins and three draws, but both teams of scored in five of the last six games between these two, with the Azzurri winning four in that sequence.

Mateo Retegui to score anytime - 8/5

Spalletti only named three recognised central strikers in his squad, with Gianluca Scamacca, Retegui and Giacomo Raspadori all set to compete for a starting spot this summer.

Scamacca will not feature in Tuesday's friendly as he has been given time to recover from Atalanta's final game of the Serie A campaign on Sunday.

That leaves the striker spot up for grabs, and Retegui should get the nod. The Genoa frontman scored twice in March on his last international start, and will look to stake his claim for a starting spot come tournament time.

While injuries halted his progress this season, the 25-year-old recently scored in the 3-3 draw with Milan at the start of May, and he will hope to cause problems for a Turkey defence that have conceded 10 in their previous four matches.

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Italy v Turkey odds

Italy - 3/5
Draw - 14/5
Turkey - 19/4

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.