England vs New Zealand Prediction & Tips
It’s perhaps fair to say that Thomas Tuchel’s tenure as England manager has hit its first major roadblock, as—although the Three Lions won nine of their first ten international matches under his leadership (1D)—they head into these final two World Cup warm-ups without having won either of their last two games (1L, 1D). The 1-0 loss to Japan in a March friendly highlighted the lack of offensive options in the absence of star striker Harry Kane. On the bright side, however, the defense remains very solid. In the 12 matches under the German coach, England has conceded only five goals. Furthermore, considering that they have not conceded a single goal against teams ranked 75th or lower in the FIFA rankings in their last 11 such matches, their World Cup preparations should begin here with a victory.
New Zealand currently ranks #85 in the FIFA rankings and suffered a heavy defeat in its first June friendly, losing 0-4 to Haiti. That result marked the All Whites’ eighth loss in their last ten international matches (1W, 1D), a streak in which they have managed to score at least two goals on only one occasion, highlighting that their attack is far from its best. To make matters worse, New Zealand has also failed to win in its last 16 matches against European opponents since May 2010 (4 draws, 12 losses), and has lost three of its last four over the past 12 months.
Over 2.5 Goals 1.48
