Francesco Pio Esposito reinforced his standing as one of the leading faces of the Italian national team's new generation, scoring the third goal in Italy's 3-1 win over Turkey on Monday evening at the Renato Dall'Ara Stadium in Bologna, in the fourth round of the UEFA Nations League.
Thrown on for Gianluca Scamacca in the 55th minute, the Inter striker wasted no time making his mark. He struck the third goal in the 87th minute.
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It was Esposito's seventh goal at international level before turning 22, making him only the second player in Italy's history to reach that figure before his 21st birthday, after the legendary Giuseppe Meazza, who netted his seventh on 25 January 1931 at the age of 20 years and 155 days, according to Opta data.
The win lifted Italy to seven points and second place in Group One, three behind leaders France. Belgium sit third on six points, with Turkey rooted to the bottom without a point.