England will be out for revenge in Group D at the World Cup as Italy made them look silly at the European Championships two years ago. Three points in this game could go a long way in Group D.
World Cup Odds: Italy +185, England +185, Draw +195
Why England Can Win
England’s problem is that they haven’t had a lot of creativity in their play in recent years, and they’re rather direct. But they have a couple of young players in Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana that have really exploded this season with Liverpool and Southampton, respectively, and Lallana could be joining Sturridge at Anfield next season. These two have shown a spark that England needs desperately and it would alleviate some of the pressure off Wayne Rooney, who has never played well at a World Cup and this is probably his last chance to do so while he is still somewhat in his prime at 28.
Joe Hart was in danger of losing the #1 shirt for England, but he roared back to respectability and helped Manchester City win the Premiership. He’ll need to be even better in Brazil because England’s back line has some major questions across the entire group.
Why Italy Can Win
Italy could have the best player on the pitch in Andrea Pirlo, who was the star of the show when Italy had England chasing shadows two years ago in Europe. Pirlo has a fantastic midfield at Juventus to allow him to do what he does with Chile’s Arturo Vidal and France’s Paul Pogba, and Daniele De Rossi will be counted on to do the same for Italy, while Thiago Motta could get a look as well. If Pirlo is given time on the ball, England will be in a world of trouble. Mario Balotelli could also change the game with one play, but you never know what it is going to be with the striker; it could be a goal or a red card, possibly both.
Defensively, Italy has some questions, but there is familiarity at the back. Keeper Gianluigi Buffon captains the side and is still a top-five keeper in the world, and his 140 caps is the most in Italy history. In front of him is Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli, who play with Buffon at Juventus and are coming off great seasons at the club level. This trio will have to be immense in Brazil.
Outlook
Italy has nine wins and seven draws in 24 matches with England, and this match is interesting because neither of these teams have major expectations. People have finally gotten off the England bandwagon, which could actually help them as they could play more relaxed, and there may be a handful of folks that think Italy can win the World Cup, but the consensus is that they’re well behind the top tier of Brazil, Spain, Argentina and Germany.
This is going to be a cagey game as neither team will want to drop any points, and this looks like a draw.
Pick: Draw
