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Diego Godin's late goal sent Uruguay through to the World Cup knockout stages at the expense of 10-man Italy in Natal just after Luis Suarez found himself at the centre of another biting storm.
Suarez, who served a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic in 2013, clashed with Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini in the 79th minute.
Suarez could face suspension if FIFA disciplinary officials uphold Chiellini's protests, and the incident cast a shadow over a hard-fought win for the South Americans.
Defender Godin rose highest to nudge home an 81st-minute corner to end the resistance of the Italians, who had played with 10 men since Claudio Marchisio's sending-off on the hour.
Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratingsShow all 22 1 /22Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Gianluigi Buffon The Italian legend had a quiet afternoon in goal but produced a magnificent double save from Luis Suarez and Nicolas Lodeiro in the first half to keep his side in the game. Could do precious little about Diego Godin's winner. 7
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Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Giorgio Chiellini Delivering a defensive performance which was as cultured as it was fearsome, the Juventus star proved once more that he is one of the world’s best defenders. Reacted violently unsurprisingly to Luis Suarez who appeared to bite him. 7
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Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Andrea Barzagli Decent performance from the 33-year-old but his lack of pace gave Uruguay a way through the Italian backline on the flanks. 6.5
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Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Leonardo Bonucci Unfortunate to be on the losing side after another firm display at the back. Headed every ball sent in his direction, tackled every player who dared stray too close. 7
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Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Matteo Darmian The Torino man tried to get forward at any given opportunity but left the door wide open behind him whenever he ventured into midfield. 6.5
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Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Mattia De Sciglio At just 21-years-old this tournament is mere work experience for the De Sciglio. Showed signs of promise but his lack of composure was evidentially clear on occasion. 6.5
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Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Marco Verratti With a frightening precision to his distribution, Andrea Pirlo’s understudy is learning quickly. The future looks bright in midfield for the Azzuri. 7
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Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Andrea Pirlo Looked off-colour for much of this game. Even losing possession on a few occasions, the Italian legend struggled to inspire his side to victory. Left international football with a whimper. 6.5
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Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Claudio Marchisio Before a controversial red card, for a high boot, the Juventus man was composed and controlled. One of the main reasons for Italy’s early dominance in the central areas. 6.5
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Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Mario Balotelli Substituted at half-time after an ineffective opening forty-five minutes, the former Manchester City forward was easily riled by the Uruguayan defence. Rightfully booked. 6
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Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Ciro Immobile A disappointing afternoon from the player Borussia Dortmund hope will fill the shoes left vacant by Robert Lewandowski, Italy were impotent today and the blame lies largely at Immobile’s door. 5
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Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Fernando Muslera Rarely called upon in the Uruguayan net, he couldn’t have done any more. 7
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Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Alvaro Gonzalez Playing his football in Italy for Lazio, Gonzalez showcased all of the composure and precision which you would expect of an Italian maestro. A strong midfield display. 7
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Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Martin Caceres A rock at the heart of Uruguay’s defence, Caceres’s aerial prowess gave his side the confidence to leave more men up field when defending set-plays. A typically combative display from the Juventus man. 7
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Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Jose Gimenez Decent, if not sensational, outing for Gimenez. Achieved little of note. 7
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Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Diego Godin Standing firm when the Italians tried to slip a pass beyond his clutches, Diego Godin delivered yet another performance which substantiates his growing reputation. Thoroughly deserved his 81st minute goal after a stunning season with Atletico Madrid. 8
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Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Alvaro Pereira Substituted after a timid display at the back, Pereira could have provided so much more this afternoon. Ultimately lacked the ambition to gallop forward and the solidity to stop any Italian attacks. 6
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Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Egidio Arevalo Rios A confident display from an undaunted pro, Arevalo Rios wasn’t put off by any of the tough tackles his Italian counterparts put in this afternoon. Gave as good as he got and delivered some fine balls into dangerous areas too. 7
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Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Nicolas Lodeiro A poor performance alongside two of the world’s greatest strikers, Lodeiro could have achieved so much more. Strived to find space in between the Italian defenders to no avail. 6
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Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Edinson Cavani Proved a tricky customer for the Italian defence to deal which but ultimately failed to create an opening. Some neat passing in deep positions, however, gave Uruguay a decent outlet. 6.5
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Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Cristian Rodriguez After a fantastic year with Atletico Madrid, a lot was expected of Cristian Rodriguez and he didn’t disappoint today. While not exactly excelling either, this was a decent run-out. 7
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Italy 0 Uruguay 1 player ratings Luis Suarez A constant menace, the Liverpool forward kept running throughout but lacked the penetration which destroyed England last week. Looked as though his injury had caught up with him and even appeared to repeat his biting exploits of old on Giorgio Chiellini when the going got tough. 6.5
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