England vs. Italy, 2014 World Cup: Lineups
Raheem Sterling is in for England. A couple of newcomers are in defense for Italy.
Richard Heathcote
England and Italy don't look much like they did when they last met, but the Three Lions are still facing the same issue: Do they have the right personnel and strategy to slow down Andrea Pirlo?
There have been some reports circulating around that Raheem Sterling, not Wayne Rooney, will start in the center. But Rooney hasn’t played much on the right wing ever, for Manchester United or England, so it would be quite a shock. Otherwise, the lineup is as expected.
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Italy's might be a bit more surprising to an outside observer. A couple of newcomers to the team, Matteo Darmian and Gabriel Paletta, get a start in the back. The formation isn't entirely obvious, but it appears to be something resembling a Christmas Tree.
England starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Joe Hart; Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Phil Jagielka, Glen Johnson; Jordan Henderson, Steven Gerrard; Danny Welbeck, Wayne Rooney, Raheem Sterling; Daniel Sturridge
Italy starting lineup (4-3-2-1): Salvatore Sirigu; Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli, Gabriel Paletta, Matteo Darmian; Marco Verratti, Andrea Pirlo, Daniele De Rossi; Claudio Marchisio, Antonio Candreva; Mario Balotelli
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