Sturridge targets repeat performance against Uruguay

The Liverpool striker scored a goal on his World Cup Finals debut on Saturday evening, but couldn’t prevent a 2-1 defeat against Italy in Manaus in the Three Lions’ Group D opener.

And with Uruguay also losing their first match, a 3-1 reverse against Costa Rica in the group's earlier game, Sturridge knows a victory for Roy Hodgson’s men would get things back on track and give them hope of progressing into the knock-out stages.

"It’s a big game but these are the games everyone looks forward to," said Sturridge. 

"We all want to play in it and regardless of whether we’d won today or not, we’d have still gone into it with a positive mentality and positive attitude, looking to win the match.

"The fact Uruguay lost earlier doesn’t really change anything. If they’d have won their game they’d still want to beat us and secure their advance to the next round as early as possible.

"Tonight’s result doesn’t change anything. We’ve still got two games to show what we can do – two games to win."

The scoreline in Manaus on Saturday certainly didn’t reflect the pattern of the game, with England unfortunate not to come away with at least a draw.

Sturridge was impressive in leading the line throughout, with fellow World Cup debutant and Liverpool team-mate Sterling also performing well.

Sturridge celebrates his goal against Italy

After Italy opened the scoring through a Claudio Marchisio strike, Sturridge gleefully equalised minutes later with a finely-worked move involving Sterling and Wayne Rooney.

Unfortunately, a rare second-half chance for Italy was finished off by Mario Balotelli, leaving the Three Lions chasing a game in the intense heat and humidity of the Amazon.

But the 24-year-old believes that if England can continue that sort of form when they head to Sao Paulo on Thursday, they can more than match their remaining group opponents in the next two games.

"It’s important we continue playing the way we did against Italy," added the former Manchester City and Chelsea man. 

"I thought we played very well, it was just unfortunate. There were two very good sides out there – but they got the breaks and we didn’t.

"We played some good football and worked very hard as a team and created a lot of chances, we just lost the game. 

"We’re disappointed because we deserved something out of the game but sometimes you don’t get the breaks you want to get. 

"We worked their ‘keeper – if you get shots on target and their ‘keeper makes good saves you have to say "fair play".

"It was unfortunate we didn’t get something out of the game. Sometimes you get luck, sometimes you don’t get luck – that’s football."

The Three Lions squad will head back to their base in Rio on Sunday morning when preparations for the next game against Uruguay will begin.