Iran v New Zealand: Prediction and tips

The whole of Hollywood is holding its breath, as the clash between Iran and New Zealand is scheduled for Monday 15 June at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. It’s a match in Belgium’s group, where absolutely any country could progress to the knockout stages. It’s definitely worth setting your alarm for this match. Especially as Iran has plenty of World Cup experience, whilst New Zealand is taking part in the World Cup for the first time since 2010.

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Iran v New Zealand preview

It may seem strange, but Iran are ranked 20th in the FIFA world rankings. A fine achievement by national manager Amir Ghalenoei’s side. The undisputed star is striker Mehdi Taremi of Olympiacos, whilst former Feyenoord and AZ player Alireza Jahanbakhsh is also in the squad.

Opinions are divided on the preparations. Iran played friendly matches in Turkey and recorded two wins against Mali (2-0) and Gambia (3-1). Certainly not bad, but everything was thrown into disarray by logistical and political uncertainties. It is now known that Iran will be allowed to play in the United States, but must stay overnight in Mexico. Will this affect their matches?

New Zealand, led by Darren Bazeley, is a minor player in world football. It is no coincidence that they missed out on the last World Cups. The Kiwis’ game revolves entirely around Nottingham Forest captain Chris Wood, who, as a target man, is expected to make the difference. The All Whites came through the qualifiers in fine form with a string of convincing victories, but struggled against teams from outside Oceania. They suffered a surprise 0-4 defeat to Haiti, after which the 0-1 loss to England didn’t seem so bad. Still, it looks as though Iran are the favourites. Or is the physical style of play of the New Zealanders something that doesn’t suit them?

Iran v New Zealand prediction

Unlike in previous years, Iran seem to have a chance of finishing in the top two of the group. Of course, the political situation is unstable, but in footballing terms, confidence is high. In addition to the 3-1 and 2-0 victories over Gambia and Mali, they also beat Costa Rica 5-0 not long ago. In short, they are scoring easily against the weaker sides. We think they will score at least two goals against New Zealand. Over 1.5 goals for Iran will earn you odds of 2.10.

Iran v New Zealand odds

His name has already been mentioned, but Mehdi Taremi is the biggest name in the Iranian squad. The striker moved from Inter Milan to Olympiacos last summer and had an excellent season there. Meanwhile, he has made a name for himself on the national team on several occasions. In his last 19 international appearances, he has scored 14 goals and provided 7 assists. That’s quite an impressive tally, isn’t it? We think he’ll also play a key role against New Zealand and be involved in a goal. Mehdi Taremi to score or provide an assist gives you odds of 1.98.

Iran v New Zealand: predicted line-ups

Below are the predicted line-ups for the Iran v New Zealand match:

Iran: (4-3-3): Beiranvand, Mohammadi, Nemati, Khalilzadeh, Hardani, Ezatolahi, Taremi, Ghoddos, Mohebi, Taheri, Gholizadeh

Nieuw-Zeeland: (4-3-3): Paulsen, Cacace, Boxall, Surman, Payne, Stamenic, Singh, Bell, Just, Wood, Randall