Game Review Italy 2-1 England

England vs Italy - Group of Death

England               -      Italy

Sturridge (37').            Marchisio (35')                                   

                                    Balotelli (50')

After a series of matches that included controversial decisions and the shocker witnessed in the game between Costa Rica and Uruguay, the much awaited fixture of the Group of Death between England and Italy was all set for a tantalising kickoff. Both teams were well aware of the importance of a victory in their first game. Despite the Azzuri's lacking form off late, it was crucial for Roy Hodgson to get his strategy right with the relatively young squad that he has picked for this World Cup. With Raheem Sterling being preferred over Rooney in Central attacking midfield, it was a gamble in a 4-2-3-1 formation that saw Rooney start on the left wing.

First Half:1-1With Steven Gerrard, Henderson and Sterling in the midfield, England started the game in a manner which drew similarities to the Liverpool style of play this season. Sterling and Henderson took a couple of long rangers that narrowly missed the target. Italy, on the other hand were attacking well via Chiellini and Darmian along the flanks. Surprisingly though, the Azzuri's had a couple of defensive lapses. Paletta made a basic error in defence that saw Welbeck miss a chance to open his account for England. However, Italy got the first goal of the match via a smart finish by Marchisio. A short corner that was played as a dummy by Andrea Pirlo left Daniel Sturridge bemused, only to see Marchisio put the ball at the back of the net. However, Sturridge wasted no time, correcting his mistake and equalised immediately thereafter. A smart move by Sterling and a perfect cross by Rooney required Sturridge to only tap the ball in. Italy had the better chances towards the closing minutes of the first half with Candreva hitting the post. However, the action packed first half ended with both teams locked at one goal a piece. 

Second Half:2-1The second half started on a similar note. However in the 50' Mario Balotelli managed to head Italy into the lead via a brilliant cross by Candreva. While England began attacking, the Italians were simply trying to take the pace out of the game and looking to counter. Immediately after, Sterling shifted out wide while Wayne Rooney started playing in the more familiar role behind the striker. Rooney missed a golden opportunity to equalise in the 62' as he found open space via an exquisite pass by Leighton Baines. Roy Hodgson made some attacking moves by bringing on Wilshere and Barkley in place of Henderson and Welbeck, respectively. Baines took a good free kick in the 77' but was denied by Salvatone Sirigu, the Italian goalkeerper covering in for the injured Buffon. The final five minutes of injury time saw the Italians create some good chances. An exquisite free kick by Pirlo was denied by the woodwork as the game drew to a close.

At the end it was the goal from "Super Mario" that made the difference. The Italians played some tactically good football, soaking up the pace of the English attack. However, England didn't have a particularly bad game either and had more shots on target as compared to the Azzuri's. With Uruguay losing to Costa Rica, England will now face an uphill task to qualify for the knockout phase. However, their young squad have shown that they have the mettle to challenge top oppositions and move ahead in the competition.