Italy in the quarter-finals: win in Turkey eliminates relegation risk

Saturday 3 October 2026 Italy of Roberto Mancini faces Turkey of Francesco Montella in Bologna in the Nations League second leg. With four points, the Azzurri are third behind France (seven) and Belgium (six) and must win to erase the risk of finishing fourth.

Relegation risk and ranking scenarios

In the League A group Italy is ahead of Montella’s team, which remains on zero points. The two worst fourth‑placed teams of the four groups will be relegated directly to League B, while the two best will have to face a second‑placed nation from League B in a playoff. Even third place does not guarantee staying up: only the two best third‑placed teams remain in League A, the other two will have to play a playoff against a second‑placed team from League B.

The immediate goal is to secure one of the top two places to reach the quarter‑finals scheduled for March 2027. The first place, moreover, could help Italy in the race for Euro 2028, as the best‑ranked group winners in the ranking could be drawn into the European playoffs.

Broadcast and multimedia context

The match will be broadcast live with Highlights, Video and Photo on Sportmediaset, with Pressing, Drive and content from Tennis, MotoGP, Formula and Podcast; the XXL platform will provide News, Info, Help, FAQ, Cookie and Policy for users. The coverage will include references to the Coppa Italia, the Supercoppa Italiana, the Scudetti, and to Lifestyle sections and an Area dedicated to Football, with mention of Italy, Italian and the major sporting event.

In the previous Nations League cycle, teams such as Sweden, Romania, Northern Ireland and Macedonia were drawn into the playoffs for qualification to the 2026 World Cup, showing that a group flop can still open a route to salvation.

For Mancini the priority is clear: beat Turkey on Monday in Bologna to erase the danger of finishing fourth and keep alive the hope of reaching the quarter‑finals.