World Cup 2022: England v Iran Betting Preview
World Cup Qatar 2022: England v Iran Betting Preview: The Three Lions kickstart their World Cup campaign against Iran at the Khalifa International Stadium. Join us as we assess both teams and highlight the players to watch. We also make predictions in the popular Over / Under goals market and what we feel will be the final score.
England commences their World Cup campaign against Asia’s top-ranked team (twentieth in the FIFA ranking) in the tournament. The Three Lions finished fourth in the 2018 World Cup edition and hope they can repeat or improve their performance in Russia. Iran has featured in five World Cup competitions but has never qualified for the knockout phase.
Gareth Southgate understands the weight on his shoulder as there is always a vast expectation for England to perform well and heavy criticism when they don’t. However, Iran will be content to qualify for the next stage of the games. We analyse players who could make a difference and bets to consider.
England v Iran Betting Odds and Markets
The most popular markets are the full-time result or the over/under. See the latest odds on offer in the tables below.
| Match Result Betting | ||
|---|---|---|
| England Win | Draw | Iran Win |
| 1/3 | 15/4 | 9/1 |
England has a superior squad with vastly more experience than Iran, so it’s no surprise to see the odds favour them with 888sport offering 1/3 to for them to win here, 9/1 for Iran, and the draw is available at 15/4. England is winless in the last six games drawing three, Germany (3 – 3), (1 – 1), and Italy (0 – 0) losing three, Hungary (1 – 0), (4 – 0) and Italy (1 – 0) in a run that saw them relegated from the UEFA Nations League A. Iran are unbeaten in the least three games, winning two (Nicaragua 1 – 0 and Uruguay 1 – 0) and drawing one (Senegal 1 – 1).
Over/Under Market
| Match Result Betting | |
|---|---|
| Over 2.5 Goals | Under 2.5 Goals |
| 11/10 | 8/11 |
Two of England’s last six games have produced Over 3.5 goals, while the other four have been under 2.5. Iran has had just one game (Algeria 2 – 1) with over 2.5 goals in the last eight performances. However, the unpredictable nature of their performances doesn’t guarantee that this could be a low-scoring affair.
Player(s) to watch – England
Harry Kane was the top scorer in the 2018 edition of the World Cup with six goals. Five of the England captain’s goals were scored in the group stage, netting two in the opener against Tunisia, a hat trick against Panama with the other coming in the round of 16 against Colombia. He has been in fine form for his club Tottenham where he has eleven goals, one assist in fourteen League games, and one more goal in the Champions League.
The wait is over.
It’s the official #ThreeLions squad announcement for the @FIFAWorldCup! 🏴 pic.twitter.com/XKJFbaDM0t
— England (@England) November 10, 2022
Player(s) to watch – Iran
Mehdi Taremi is an Iranian attacker who plays for the Portuguese side, FC Porto. The maestro was the top scorer in their World Cup qualification campaign, scoring four goals and two assists. He has been in fine form this season with nineteen goal involvements (thirteen goals and six assists) in eighteen games he has featured. The thirty-year-old attacker has produced twenty or more goal involvements in the last three seasons and has made three World Cup appearances but is yet to score. He will be a handful for the England backline.
Mehdi Taremi, 5 goals in his last 3 Champions League games and Iran’s number 9. 🇮🇷🔥
England, be warned. pic.twitter.com/dN6uQT4C1o
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) November 1, 2022
Match Prediction: England 3 – 1
Gareth Southgate has found a way to make this team perform even when individual performances from their clubs have not been great. The defence will have a stern test against Taremi, who will be a handful but should be able to dominate the game. We predict a 3 – 1 win in favour of the Three Lions as they have a lethal attack that can break the Iranian defence with over 3.5, and both teams to score. If you think Iran will take a shock lead, England are priced at 9/1 to win from behind.
England v Iran, Group B, Khalifa International Stadium. Kick-off is at 4 pm (UK time).
England Squad:
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, Nick Pope
Defenders: Kieran Trippier, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kyle Walker, Ben White, Harry Maguire, John Stones, Eric Dier, Conor Coady, Luke Shaw.
Midfielders: Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Kalvin Phillips, Jordan Henderson, Conor Gallagher, Mason Mount.
Forwards: Harry Kane, Callum Wilson, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling, Bakayo, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, James Maddison.
Iran Squad:
Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand, Amir Abedzadeh, Seyed Hossein Hosseini, Payam Niazmand.
Defenders: Ehsan Hajsafi, Morteza Pouraliganji, Ramin Rezaeian, Milad Mohammadi, Hossein Kanaanizadegan, Shojae Khalilzadeh, Sadegh Moharrami, Rouzbeh Cheshmi, Majid Hosseini, Abolfazl Jalali.
Midfielders: Ahmad Noorollahi, Saman Ghoddos, Vahid Amiri, Saeid Ezatolahi, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Mehdi Torabi, Ali Gholizadeh, Ali Karimi.
Forwards: Karim Ansarifard, Sardar Azmoun, Mehdi Taremi.
You can learn more about placing World Cup bets on our World Cup betting page. In addition, our World Cup fixtures page will bring you all the latest match previews and betting tips. Fancy Yourself as an armchair manager? Check out our brand new World Cup squad builder we have created especially for the World Cup.
