Immobile spearheads Italy attack for Euro 2020 opener against Turkey

Rome (AFP) – Ciro Immobile leads Italy’s three-man attack for their Euro 2020 opener against Turkey in Rome on Friday.

Immobile, who plays his club football at the Stadio Olimpico for Lazio, is flanked by wingers Lorenzo Insigne and Domenico Berardi.

Italy coach Roberto Mancini opted for a 4-3-3 formation for Italy’s return to a major tournament for the first time in five years after missing out on the 2018 World Cup.

Sassuolo’s Manuel Locatelli starts in midfield alongside Jorginho and Nicolo Barella, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Marco Verratti fighting to recover from a knee injury and Roma’s Lorenzo Pellegrini ruled out with a muscular problem.

Gianluigi Donnarumma will be in goal with a back four of Alessandro Florenzi and Leonardo Spinazzola either side of veteran Juventus pair Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci.

In-form captain Burak Yilmaz starts for Turkey, as does his Lille teammate Yusuf Yazici, who scored a hat-trick past Donnarumma in the Europa League last November.

Juventus centre-back Merih Demiral is part of a four-man Turkish defence.

Group A also includes Wales and Switzerland.

Italy’s only European title was in 1968, with Turkey’s best effort a run to the semi-finals at Euro 2008.

Starting line-ups:

Italy (4-3-3)

Gianluigi Donnarumma; Alessandro Florenzi, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini (capt), Leonardo Spinazzola; Nicolo Barella, Jorginho, Manuel Locatelli; Domenico Berardi, Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne

Coach: Roberto Mancini (ITA)

Turkey (4-1-4-1): 

Ugurcan Cakir; Zeki Celik, Caglar Soyuncu, Merih Demiral, Umut Meras; Okay Yokuslu; Kenan Karaman, Ozan Tufan, Yusuf Yazici, Hakan Calhanoglu; Burak Yilmaz (capt)

Coach: Senol Gunes (TUR)

Referee: Danny Makkelie (NED)