Iran

2 : 2

New Zealand

Iran qualified comfortably from Asia and play compact defensive football at home. New Zealand scraped through Oceania qualifiers. MD1 caution favors the DC hedge over straight home win at 1.89.

MD1 historical prior (59% Under), Iran's defensive solidity, and New Zealand's limited attacking quality all point to a low-scoring opener. 1-0 or 2-0 range.

New Zealand managed only 8 goals across 10 OFC qualifiers. Iran's defense is organized. Clean sheet for Iran highly probable in cautious opener.