Expect fireworks when some of the best players from across the Europe go head-to-head in a bid to win their World Cup kickoff. England will once again field Wayne Rooney in an attempt to capture their second World Cup, while Italy will pin their hopes on the hot-headed Mario Balotelli to tie Brazil’s record for the most championships in the competition.
These two teams will face each other in a pivotal matchup in one of this year’s Groups of Death. For a more comprehensive view of the group as a whole, check out our Group D predictions and preview.
Which team will get to a winning start in this exceptionally tough group? Create a betting account now and start the tournament off with a win of your own.
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Italy vs. England, World Cup 2014, Group Stage Betting Preview and Prediction
This year, Italy will make its 14th-consecutive appearance in the World Cup. They won a ticket to the biggest stage for soccer by breezing through the UEFA qualifiers, going an undefeated 6-4-0. In his two previous tournaments in-charge, manager Cesare Prandelli brought the team to the finals in Euro 2012 and in the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup last year. The Azzurri are once again expected to be one of the challengers for the trophy this year.
[sc:Soccer240banner ]Captain and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon will be one of the key veteran players for Italy. Juventus goalkeeper Buffon has shown strong reflexes in stopping shots as evidenced by his 81.7 save percentage. Although the goalkeeper isn’t promising more than the quarters for Italy, he believes that they are a better team than England and will advance through the Group Stage.
Italy will be invigorated by the youthful energy of Mario Balotelli. The talented striker has established himself as the squad’s go-to man for offense. His devastating touch was on display when he played for AC Milan this season, where he scored 14 goals and created 32 chances to score.
However, as talented Balotelli may be on a good day, he can be awful on a bad one. And when he’s frustrated, his temper can magnify the problem, hurting his team when probed or challenged by his opponents.
Betting on England
Manager Roy Hodgson has a fine track record in international competitions, and has taken run-of-the-mill teams within an arm’s reach of glory before. Hodgson found some results at Euro 2012, where he led soccer’s homeland to the quarters. England is looking for more at this tournament, and may find it, as we discussed in our picks for the high-value sleepers of the 2014 World Cup.
Wayne Rooney is considered by many as the Three Lions’ only world-class talent, but he has yet to score a goal at a World Cup. After struggles have kept him from performing in major tournaments in the past, he seemed matured, fit and settled this season. Playing for Manchester United in club competition, he appeared in 29 matches, in which he created 56 chances to score and amassed a total of 17 goals.
Rooney needs to produce if England is going to compete in Group D, simple as that. At the very least, a dangerous Rooney would create chances for the promising attacker Daniel Sturridge to challenge Italy goalkeeper Buffon’s reflexes. Scoring 25 goals in all competitions in 2013-14 for Liverpool, Sturridge established himself as one of the deadliest strikers in European soccer. This is his time to shine as he goes to Brazil to face a new challenge.
Taking care of the defense for the Three Lions will be Everton’s Leighton Baines. In the latest season for his club, he won 81% of tackles to take the ball away from the competition. This will factor in when stealing possession of the ball from the opposition.
Writer’s Prediction
England proves to be a bigger challenge than Italy expects. Take the underdog English at +183 to pull off a big surprise.
