Italy 1-1 England: five talking points from the friendly in Turin

England’s first-half diamond dulled their shining lights, while Italy’s reputation as masters of the defensive dark arts remained undimmed

• Italy 1-1 England: Daniel Taylor’s match report from Turin

• Dominic Fifield: Kane gets real taste of international football against Italy

England’s first-half midfield diamond, with Fabian Delph on the left and Jordan Henderson on the other side, offered very little width, therefore putting the onus on the full-backs to get forward. This did not play to the players’ strengths, with neither the left-back, Kieran Gibbs, nor the right-back Nathaniel Clyne renowned for their creativity – both has contributed four Premier League assists over the last two seasons combined (though as Giorgio Chiellini showed, a historic inability to create goals does not make it impossible). Clyne also struggled in defence, particularly against the excellent Matteo Darmian, who proved his success against England in Manaus last summer – on the right that time – was no one-off.

Related: Italy 1-1 England | Friendly international match report

Related: England’s Harry Kane gets real taste of international football against Italy | Dominic Fifield

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source Sport | The Guardian http://ift.tt/1Ikju6J