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Italy is Going to Dominate Turkey in UEFA Euro Opening Match

By Iain MacMillan

Leonardo Bonucci and Italy will take on Turkey in the opening match of Euro 2020.
Leonardo Bonucci and Italy will take on Turkey in the opening match of Euro 2020. / Claudio Villa/Getty Images
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The 2020 UEFA European Football Championship will finally kick off this Friday, a year after it was originally scheduled.

The opening match of the tournament will take place in Rome between Italy and Turkey. WynnBET has Italy set as a sizable -190 favorite (bet $190 to profit $100) and Turkey is set as a +600 underdogs (bet $100 to profit $600). The odds for the match ending in a draw are set at +275.

As the odds would indicate, expect the Italians to dominate Turkey from start to finish. Italy hasn’t lost an international match since they resumed play in September of 2020. During that stretch, they’ve accumulated a record of 10-0-3, which includes UEFA Nationals League play, international friendlies and World Cup Qualifiers.

Turkey, while not sporting as impressive of a record as Italy, has been solid in their own right since the return to play in September of last year. Since then, they've gone 5-2-7 in international play. Wins against Russia and the Netherlands have proven that this team may be tougher than some people are predicting ahead of the tournament.

Regardless, Italy should be able to handle the Turkish squad given their experience on the international stage and the fact that they'e playing in the country's capital city.

Italy’s offense will revolve around Ciro Immobile, who has 13 goals in 46 international appearances for his country. He also has 123 goals in Serie A for Lazio, who he’s played for since 2016.

If Turkey is going to surprise people this tournament, it’ll be due to the play of their captain Burak Yilmaz. He has 29 goals in 67 international matches for Turkey, and he has been a dominant force for Lille in League 1. WynnBET has his odds set at +5000 to be named Player of the Tournament, and if Turkey can go on a Cinderella run, you can guarantee Yilmaz will win the award.

Italy is expected to get off to a hot start on Friday, as it is a -175 favorite to win Group A. Turkey is third on the odds list to win its group at +425 odds behind Italy and Switzerland (+400). Wales rounds out the group, and its odds are set at +800.

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