Iraq vs Venezuela Prediction
🔊 Can the national team that clinched their spot at the World Cup through dramatic playoffs secure a positive result on the pitch in Illinois? Iraq are gearing up for their first World Cup appearance since 1986 and will play their final warm-up match on June 10. Their opponents, Venezuela, will be watching the global football spectacle from the sidelines but head into this fixture as the favourites. Is that a fair assessment?
Head-to-Head
🔊 These national teams have never faced each other in either official competitions or friendly matches.
Iraq Team Overview
Iraq make their return to the World Cup stage after a 40-year absence, arriving with ambitions to spring a major surprise. Graham Arnold’s side are unbeaten in their last three matches. The "Lions of Mesopotamia" pulled off a remarkable run through a gruelling qualification campaign, and clinched their spot in Group F alongside France, Norway, and Senegal by overcoming Bolivia 2-1 in the intercontinental playoffs.
Iraq’s recent friendlies have shown their ability to grind out results. First, they edged past Andorra with a narrow 1-0 win, before earning an impressive 1-1 draw against Spain. Arnold’s men controlled 43% of possession and managed just three shots on target against the European champions, but one of them-courtesy of Merchas Doski-proved unstoppable for Joan Garcia.
Match Results: Iraq
Venezuela Team Overview
Venezuela endured a disappointing qualifying campaign. Out of ten teams in the South American qualifiers, six book direct tickets to the World Cup, while the seventh heads into the playoffs. "La Vinotinto" could only manage eighth place. Oswaldo Vizcarrondo replaced Fernando Batista as head coach, signing an eight-year deal, but so far the results have been underwhelming-with just one win in four matches under his leadership.
Venezuela’s away record has been a real concern: they have lost eight of their last nine matches on the road in regulation time. In fact, "La Vinotinto" failed to score in each of their previous four away fixtures. Most recently, Venezuela were beaten by Turkey (1-2) in a friendly on neutral ground in Florida, conceding once in each half and registering only 0.42 expected goals (xG).
Match Results: Venezuela
Match Outcome Prediction
Trends- Venezuela have claimed victory in 6 of their last 7 away fixtures (International Friendlies).
Total Goals Prediction
Trends- Venezuela have scored under 1.5 goals in 10 consecutive matches (International Friendlies).
Editor’s Prediction
Iraq are enjoying a solid run of form, having held Spain to a draw and edged past Andorra, and their well-drilled defence should be able to cope with Venezuela’s rather lacklustre attack. That said, there are doubts about whether the “Lions of Mesopotamia” can offer much going forward themselves. Graham Arnold’s side aren’t known for their creativity, usually sitting deep and preferring to play on the counter, which might not work against an opponent like this. With the World Cup just a week away, Iraq’s main focus is likely to be player fitness rather than the result itself. With that in mind, a narrow 1-0 win for Venezuela looks a reasonable prediction here. The best bet could be on under 2.5 goals, a market that has landed in seven of Iraq’s last eight friendlies.
Will this prediction come true?
Betting Tips: Iraq - Venezuela
in 6 of last 7 away games (Int. Friendly Games).in 6 of last 7 away games (Int. Friendly Games).in 8 of last 9 games (Int. Friendly Games).in 6 of last 7 away games (Int. Friendly Games).in 12 of last 13 away games (Int. Friendly Games).Comparison of Teams Stats
Other predictions
