Summary

  • England beaten in World Cup opener

  • Balotelli gets the winner with a header

  • "Best we have played under me" - Hodgson

  • Replay: Click Live Coverage to watch the match again

Live Reporting

Tom Rostance

  1. HALF-TIME

    Half-time! Great half. How we all feeling?

  2. HITS THE WOODWORK

    Brilliant!

    Mario Balotelli beats Joe Hart to the ball, skips around him and then tries an outrageous chip. It' heading in until Phil Jagielka heads off the line brilliantly.

    From the following corner Antonio Candreva scrapes the base of the post!

  3. We have 'chapter points' in our coverage on the website. So you can select that England goal and watch it again. And again. And again should you wish.

  4. Join the debate at #bbcworldcup

    Steven: Daniel Sturridge. You. Little. Beauty. Cracking cross from Rooney.

    Abdul: What a pass from Sterling, cross from Rooney and finishing touch from Sturridge. Team goal. World class. Game on.

    Rodney: Great counter attacking goal by England! Great response!

    England v ItalyAFP

  5. The game is down to walking pace as Italy just keep it in midfield. The heat is on in more ways than one, players have shirts stuck to them now.

  6. BBC Sport Chief Football Writer Phil McNulty in Manaus

    "The perfect response from England and a big contribution from Wayne Rooney with a perfect cross for Daniel Sturridge. England have looked dangerous in attack all night.

    "After Italy took the lead Rooney and Leighton Baines were deep in conversation - that left-sided combination is still a bit of a work in progress. Early days though."

    England v ItalyAFP

  7. It was a wonderful pass from Raheem Sterling which sent Wayne Rooney away down the left for the equaliser. Great pass.

    Who looks after England's injured players now? I presume they have more than one physio?

  8. Danny Mills
    BBC Radio 5 live

    "The perfect response from England! A great break and cross from Wayne Rooney, then you just want him to put the ball into space. Daniel Sturridge gambles and it's not an easy finish, but with his right foot puts it into the back of the net. What was that two minutes Italy led for?"

    SturridgeAFP

  9. Former England defender Phil Neville

    "It was Sterling who made that goal. That's why Roy Hodgson picked him. It was a wonderful cross from Wayne Rooney. He was frustrated with the amount of defending he's had to do but he's in the team to put in crosses like that."

  10. That's the first thing Wayne Rooney has done. But he did it well.

    Concerns on the bench by the way as physio Gary Lewin is down injured after being caught up in a pile-on.

  11. GOAL

    That'll do nicely! England level on the counter-attack, exactly as they planned to exploit Italy for pace.

    Wayne Rooney is freed down the left, he stands up a cross and Daniel Sturridge converts on the half volley. Wonderful flowing move...

    England v Italy

  12. That was like a Sean Kerly penalty corner...

  13. Former England defender Phil Neville

    "It's been coming the last two or three minutes. It was wonderful vision from Andrea Pirlo but Claudio Marchiso still had a lot to do from that position. It went through the legs of two or three England defenders and Joe Hart had no chance there.

    "Wayne Rooney just came over to the bench to ask about the problems he's having on that left-hand side. They need to sort that out fast."

    England v ItalyAFP

  14. GOAL

    Lovely, lovely goal!

    From the corner Italy pull it to the edge of the box, Andrea Pirlo lets it go through his legs and it finds Claudio Marchisio 25 yards out. He takes a touch and then drills a low shot through the legs of both Wayne Rooney and Gary Cahill, skidding into the net.

    Fine strike.

    EnglandAFP

  15. CLOSE!

    Chance! That man Matteo Darmian escapes into space down the right, he mishits a cross toward the near post and Mario Balotelli gets there first - luckily for England he doesn't make a telling connection with his header and it skids across the six-yard box.

    Italy on top.

  16. Danny Mills
    BBC Radio 5 live

    "England are keeping the ball much better, they are not playing too many long balls and have not been troubled to excess. They will be fairly content with the way things are going. Andrea Pirlo has not dictated play as much as we expected him to - up until now he has not done anything of real note.

    "We know how well drilled Italy are in their marking, they don't let players go past them. As we get towards the end of the game, when concentration drops, England have just got to look out for that one pass that beats the defence."

  17. Naughty! Daniele De Rossi goes in hard on Wayne Rooney, who tells the referee that that was two-footed!

    He has been warned. Just look at De Rossi's tattoo...

    De RossiAFP

  18. The early tempo has just started to slow down, as England have the ball at the back for an extended period. Phil Jagielka has a glossy sheen of sweat across his brow now.

  19. Former England defender Phil Neville

    "It would be an idea to swap Jordan Henderson and Steven Gerrard and with that athleticism maybe he could stop the balls out to Antonio Candreva.

    "This was always going to be a tight, cagey affair because the Italians just don't open up."

  20. England need to just step it up a bit, they're getting very deep and they allow Antonio Candreva a free shot on goal from 25 yards.