Kayode relishes dream Italy debut with goal and assist

Michael Kayode, the 22‑year‑old Brentford defender, marked his Italy debut with a goal and an assist as the Azzurri thrashed Turkey 4‑1 in the Nations League on Monday in Bursa, Turkey.

Match impact and first goal

Kayode opened the scoring by setting up Davide Frattesi for Italy’s opening goal before doubling the lead with his own first international strike in the first half. His contribution helped Italy establish a comfortable advantage early in the game.

After the match Kayode said, “I didn’t expect my debut to go like this, so I am really happy. We played in the first half with a fantastic simplicity and determination. We wanted to really prove ourselves in a difficult match in an incredible stadium atmosphere, so winning here was fantastic.”

Although eligible for Nigeria, Kayode confirmed he never seriously considered switching allegiance after progressing through Italy’s youth teams. He added that Nigeria had approached him but he felt Italy had always been a great national team and playing for the Azzurri was an honour.

Man of the Match accolades

Italian newspapers named Kayode Man of the Match, with and Corriere della Sera rating him 7/10. praised his “goal and commanding performance” and described him as “flying”.

Corriere dello Sport gave him a 7.5/10 rating, while Tuttosport also scored him 7.5/10, calling the debut “magical”. The publications highlighted his impact on both ends of the pitch.

Wing‑position rivalry emerges

The media also noted a developing duel for the wing spot with Marco Palestra, currently sidelined by injury, mentioned as the long‑term starter. Palestra, a former Cagliari and Atalanta defender who joined Chelsea for €60m last summer, has yet to debut for the Blues.

Kayode’s youth pedigree includes the winning goal in the Euro U19 Final against Portugal in 2023, a team coached by Alberto Bollini, now Roberto Mancini’s assistant. A video of his debut was published on YouTube after his first Italy press conference at Coverciano last week.