Overview
- Michael Kayode, who made his first senior start on Monday, helped Italy to a 4-1 UEFA Nations League win over Türkiye by creating Davide Frattesi’s goal and scoring his own.
- Roberto Mancini praised Kayode after the match and said the 22-year-old and Pio Esposito are young players with clear qualities and a strong future.
- Kayode’s long throw-ins, a skill he developed and refined at Brentford, were used as a practical set-piece weapon in heavy rain and muddy conditions during the game.
- Italian papers named Kayode man of the match and gave him high ratings, lifting his profile and intensifying debate over who should start on the right wing now that Marco Palestra is injured.
- The performance fits Mancini’s short-term experiment to blood younger players and could change selection and tactical options ahead of Italy’s next fixtures, including the match against France.