Group D Match Preview: England vs Italy
England vs Italy
Kickoff: 8am, Sunday 15 June (AEDT)
Arena Amazonia, Manaus
Match 8 of the 2014 FIFA World Cup will see two powerhouses of European football face off against each other. England and Italy will meet in the city of Manaus, which is located on the banks of the Amazon River, at the newly redeveloped Arena Amazonia. Both teams will be looking to get their campaign off to a good start in a tough pool that also includes Uruguay and Costa Rica. With only two teams advancing through to the round of 16, the winner of this match will put themselves in a great position to progress.
Head to head: Played 24. Italy 9, England 8, Draws 7.
Key players…
England: Daniel Sturridge
The 24 year old Liverpool striker made his debut for England against Sweden in 2011. He played a key role in England’s qualification campaign, scoring goals against San Marino and Montenegro. Known for his speed, Sturridge has the ability to pull wide and attack from the edges as well as acting as a traditional up-front striker. It’s almost a certainty that Roy Hodgson will start Sturridge in the striking role for the opening game.
Italy: Daniele De Rossi
The A.S. Roma player has a total of 95 appearances for the Italian national team and was a member of the 2006 World Cup winning squad. Known for being a complete midfielder, De Rossi has the ability to transition quickly between attack and defence. Most attacking moves from Italy will start at the back via De Rossi and anything coming forward from England will most likely have to go through him. You can guarantee he’ll be a busy man come match day.
Prediction:
Both teams enter the tournament with passionate fans back home expecting big things from their country. With Uruguay expected to win easily against Costa Rica, the loser of this match will face a tough battle to make it past the group stage. Recent matches between these two sides have been closely fought encounters and the total goal count over all matches played reads England 30, Italy 27. With so much on the line this early in the tournament expect this match to end in a draw with the possibility of a goalless stalemate on the cards.
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