Bastoni and his "debt to the Italians": will he be the future in a back four too

Back from suspension, Mancini brought Bastoni straight back into the left-sided centre-back role in his back four, with an orthodox full-back on one side and a more physical centre-back on the other, even if Scalvini's display, while positive, did not match the Inter player's level.

His display went well beyond the goal that calmed any early nerves: a sliding finish with barely any time to set himself, the ball flying in under the bar, which broke the deadlock in the ninth minute of the first half. More important still was the defensive authority that came from his reading of the game, with Scalvini following his lead and a personality in organising the back line that had not been seen for a long time.

After Zenica and the elimination against Bosnia, Bastoni became, perhaps rightly, the scapegoat for the Azzurri's failure. What happened yesterday in Turkey, though, offered the first sign of a revival that must carry Italy back to where they belong over the next four years of this cycle.

After the match, the centre-back shouldered the blame for that failure and tried to repair his relationship with the Azzurri fans not only through what he did on the pitch, but also with his words. And this: "Every time, for me, it is inevitable to think back to that night. I will be in debt to all Italians for at least the next four years. We know we have hit the lowest point, but we are a young group and we want to start again. I am only asking for a bit of balance and patience" points exactly in that direction.

Words of a leader in a dressing room that has spent some time looking for someone to guide the younger players. They push Bastoni towards a role of absolute certainty for both the present and the future. The former Atalanta defender stepped up, asked for patience with the youngsters and urged the fans to focus on him and the other senior players rather than those who need enthusiasm and positivity.

That means Bastoni now has to be central, in personality and on the pitch. Once again, when physically and mentally right, he has shown he can cope even in a back four. Perhaps alongside a slightly more rugged marker than the Scalvini seen last night, perhaps by moving Calafiori permanently out to the left and pushing Dimarco up between midfield and attack, it will be up to Mancini to solve this dilemma, but there can be no more doubts about the need for his adaptation.