World Cup Group D Tips and Predictions

Group D emerged as one of several proverbial groups of death as three former Champions - ITALY, URUGUAY and ENGLAND - will fight for the top spot while COSTA RICA are outsiders. Who will advance to the knockout stage and who will get sent home early? Find here a complete World Cup Group D betting preview with tips and predictions.

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WORLD CUP 2014 GROUP D BETTING PREVIEW

ITALY arrive at the 2014 finals in better shape than they were four years ago in South Africa when they earned just two points in the group stage. Italy finished bottom. Prandelli was charged with the task of restoring the faith back into Italian football and he did just that by leading them to the final of Euro 2012, where they were defeated by defending champions Spain. In the WC qualifying group, Cesare Prandelli’s men cruised to qualification for Brazil without losing a game despite having the likes of Denmark and Czech Republic as company. Anyway, they were disappointing in their friendlies before to travel to Brazil: the Azzurri drew 0:0 and 1:1 against Ireland and Luxembourg rispectively. The Azzurri's defence is based around Juventus's mean back-line, with the majestic pass-master Andrea Pirlo pulling the strings just in front of them. In attack, they can count on Balotelli, Cassano and the Italian Serie top goalscorer Ciro Immobile.

ENGLAND went undefeated in their European qualifying group and that was a solid feat considering the good teams of Ukraine and Poland was in the group. Overall, England had six wins and four draws in the qualification process. They were defensively stout with just four goals allowed in 10 matches. With their second-youngest World Cup squad, the Three Lions may, however, cause a surprise through their pace and youthful nerve, led by one of England’s biggest assets, Roy Hodgson. They recently beat Peru with ease and drew 2:2 with Ecuador in two International Friendlies before the WC. While the defence may be suspect, the midfield may be where England can hope to win games with the youngsters Barkley, Sterling and Lallana absolutely men to watch.

URUGUAY had an abysmal stretch from Sept. 2012 through March 2013. They played six matches, earned a total of two points and were outscored 15-3. They rebounded, winning four of their last five to reach the fifth-place playoff, and beat Jordan 5-0 on aggregate to qualify through the back door. The South American team reached the 2010 World Cup semifinals and this tournament will be played in Brazil where they have won their only World Cup title. Furthermore, they have one of the best forward, Luis Suarez who just had a monster season. The Liverpool striker, anyway, might miss the first match (or two) due to a knee problem but Cavani is phenomenal when he plays as lone forward. They have continuity in the coaching ranks with Oscar Tabarez having been in charge since 2006 and South American conditions may be in their favour.

COSTA RICA are the group and tournament’s long shots. They did not qualify for the 2010 edition, and this year will mark their fourth appearance in the World Cup. Head coach Jorge Luis Pinto has constructed a solid and defensively sound unit that conceded the least goals during CONCACAF qualifying. This is a strong defensive team, but have proven they can score against big clubs, beating both Mexico and the USA in the qualification for the World Cup. They also have the benefit of playing close to home but the task was made even tougher recently when they lost injured striker Álvaro Saborío, plus the absence of Everton full-back Bryan Oviedo, is a huge blow to their chances. Bryan Ruiz and Joel Campbell will be the main attacking threats.

WORLD CUP 2014 GROUP D FIXTURES

• 14 June 2014, URUGUAY v COSTA RICA, Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza
• 14 June 2014, ENGLAND v ITALY, Arena Amazonia, Manaus
• 19 June 2014, URUGUAY v ENGLAND, Arena de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo
• 20 June 2014, ITALY v COSTA RICA, Arena Pernambuco, Recife
• 24 June 2014, ITALY v URUGUAY , Arena das Dunas, Natal
• 24 June 2014, COSTA RICA v ENGLAND, Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte

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