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Attendance: 39,800
England national football team
World Cup | Group Stage
Jun 14, 2014 at 11pm UK
 
Italy national football team

1-2

Sturridge (37')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Marchisio (35'), Balotelli (50')

Gianfranco Zola: 'Italy must stop Daniel Sturridge, Wayne Rooney'

Former Italy international Gianfranco Zola says that the team will need to halt Daniel Sturridge and Wayne Rooney when they face England in the World Cup.

Gianfranco Zola has said that Italy need to make sure they stop Daniel Sturridge and Wayne Rooney when they face England in their opening World Cup game next week.

Rooney was on the scoresheet during the Three Lions' warm-up match against Ecuador earlier this week, but Sturridge has failed to find the back of the net in his side's last two friendlies.

The former Italy international told Gazzetta dello Sport: "Italy has to be able to stop two strong players like Sturridge and Rooney.

"Italy has more expert players, England has younger players and two magnetic players like [Steven] Gerrard and [Frank] Lampard.

"In my opinion [Mario] Balotelli and [Antonio] Cassano could create some problems to the England defence, but unlike the past, the England defenders are less slow now. Italy and England in general are similar squads, with some certainty and more variables."

The two teams will also face Costa Rica and Uruguay in their group.

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Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Netherlands Netherlands32107
Q Senegal flag Senegal32016
3 Ecuador flag Ecuador31114
4 Qatar Qatar30030

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England32107
Q United States USA31205
3 Iran Iran31023
4 Wales flag Wales30121

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Argentina Argentina32016
Q Poland Poland31114
3 Mexico Mexico31114
4 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia31023

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q France France32016
Q Australia Australia32016
3 Tunisia Tunisia31114
4 Denmark Denmark30121

Group E

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Q Japan Japan32016
Q Spain Spain31114
3 Germany Germany31114
4 Costa Rica flag Costa Rica31023

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Morocco Morocco32107
Q Croatia Croatia31205
3 Belgium Belgium31114
4 Canada Canada30030

Group G

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Q Brazil Brazil32016
Q Switzerland Switzerland32016
3 Cameroon flag Cameroon31114
4 Serbia Serbia30121

Group H

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Republic of Korea South Korea31114
3 Uruguay flag Uruguay31114
4 Ghana flag Ghana31023


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