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Alternative Italy threats to Andrea Pirlo for England

| 14.06.2014
SPORTSBOOK ODDS

England fans remember two things from the Euro 2012 quarter-final; yet another agonising penalty shoot-out exit from a major tournament and a midfield masterclass from Italy playmaker Andrea Pirlo. He is preparing to dash hopes again at the World Cup.

“It is quite normal,” began Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson, when asked about his first Group D opponents in Brazil, “[for] people [to] focus on Andrea Pirlo, but there are a lot of other quality players also worthy of attention. We are not hung up on one player because this team does not depend totally on one player.”

This may be sound thinking, and Coral experts have put their heads together to show punters why. The Azzurri threat will come from more sources than Pirlo. All we know for certain is AC Milan captain Riccardo Montolivo can do England no harm, as he misses the tournament injured. Here are some other names that should be at the forefront of Hodgson’s thinking.

Antonio Candreva
Lazio midfielder Candreva is something of a favourite of Italy coach Cesare Prandelli. The manager’s penchant for pragmatism makes this player, who can operate wide right or in midfield, a real asset.

Candreva led the way for Lazio, netting a dozen Serie A goals and making nine assists. Although yet to score for the Azzurri, he is 7/1 to break his duck against England.

Daniele De Rossi
Aggressive anchorman De Rossi was on target when Italy and the Three Lions last met. Five players from the friendly meeting in August 2012 are in Hodgson’s final squad for Brazil.

Central defenders Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka should have wised up to the De Rossi danger then. The Roma stalwart needs close attention at set pieces and has the occasional long range effort in his locker – 15 international goals are compelling evidence of his threat, and explains odds of 6/1 for him to be on target in Manaus.

Mario Balotelli
Why always me? Former Manchester City forward Balotelli was something of a firebrand during his time in the Premier League, but has opened up a softer side to his ‘never a dull moment’ life by proposing to his girlfriend before meeting England.

A transformation from controversial headline-grabber to good old-fashioned lover boy looks unlikely, though. Balotelli, now of AC Milan, has netted five of his dozen Azzurri goals so far at major tournaments, so odds of 6/4 say he will rise to the occasion on the big stage and net again here.

Alessio Cerci
Torino winger Cerci is something of a novelty for traditional Italy supporters. Wingplay is not historically a strength of Serie A, so Prandelli’s refreshing approach may be its own reward.

Making as many assists as anyone else in that division, as well as scoring 13 goals this seasons, show that Cerci is in on merit and not just because of the whims of a shameless pragmatist. Yet to net in a dozen Azzurri caps, he is 7/2 to break his senior international duck against England.

Ciro Immobile
Serie A’s leading marksman is the polar opposite of his unfortunate sounding name. His exploits at Torino have earned him a big money move to Borussia Dortmund, where he will be expected to fill Robert Lewandowski’s boots.

Immobile is raw at international level with just two senior caps, but could fulfil his potential when paired with England quite easily. Prandelli may pick him to partner Balotelli or, depending on the system used by Italy, as an impact substitute to replace him. Either way, Immobile is 11/4 for a goal anytime against the Three Lions.

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Author

Jamie Clark

Athletics aficionado, die-hard snooker fan and Crystal Palace supporter Jamie has written for Coral since February 2014 after spells with Soccerlens and the Press Association as a digital journalist and copywriter. A former East Midlands sports correspondent and Bwin tipster, he is a graduate of both the University of York and University of Sheffield, with a Masters in web journalism from the latter.