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Balotelli scores the decisive goal as Italy emerged 2-1 winners over England

Published

8 years ago

June 15, 2014

Mario Balotelli headed the decisive goal as Italy emerged 2-1 winners over England in another high quality World Cup match in the Amazon jungle on Saturday, to gain a key early advantage in a Group D containing three former tournament winners.
Claudio Marchisio fired Italy ahead after 35 minutes at the Arena Amazonia, Manaus, when England were wrong-footed by an Andrea Pirlo dummy, but Daniel Sturridge levelled within three minutes after Wayne Rooney picked him out with a perfect left-wing cross.
Balotelli, who had a clever lob cleared off the line at the end of the first half, made it 2-1 five minutes into the second when he took advantage of ragged defending to head home.
England played some confident football trying to find the equaliser but Italy’s defence buckled down and kept them at bay to take them to three points alongside Costa Rica, who upset 2010 semifinalists Uruguay 3-1 earlier on Saturday.