Italy faced Turkey in a friendly match as part of their preparations for the upcoming European Championship. The game ended in a goalless draw, with both teams showing a lack of cutting edge in front of goal. The match was marred by a serious injury to Turkey defender Ozan Kabak, who had to be stretchered off the field with a knee injury, casting doubt on his participation in Euro 2024.
Italy's best chance came through Bryan Cristante's header hitting the post, while Mateo Retegui missed a golden opportunity with an errant overhead kick. The Azzurri also welcomed back Nicolò Fagioli after his ban for betting violations, and Riccardo Calafiori made his Italy debut to a warm reception from the fans.
Meanwhile, Portugal secured a 4-2 victory over Finland without star player Cristiano Ronaldo, who was given a rest. Bruno Fernandes shone for Portugal with a brace, while Teemu Pukki scored twice for Finland in a spirited comeback attempt.
In another friendly, Austria defeated Serbia 2-1 with goals from Patrick Wimmer and Christoph Baumgartner. Strahinja Pavlovic pulled one back for Serbia, but Austria held on for the win. Hungary's 14-match unbeaten run came to an end with a 2-1 loss to Ireland, courtesy of a late goal from Troy Parrott.
Other results from the day included Romania drawing 0-0 with Bulgaria, Switzerland thrashing Estonia 4-0, and Slovenia edging past Armenia 2-1. The teams are fine-tuning their preparations ahead of the highly anticipated Euro 2024 tournament, where they will face tough competition in their respective groups.
Stay tuned for more updates as the teams gear up for the continental championship.
