The Iranians are headed for a crucial faceoff with Spain this Wednesday. The Princes of Persia have long odds of beating La Roja, but we’ve seen crazy things happen at the World Cup to just completely dismiss the idea of the Asian powerhouse stealing three points from Spain. Read on for a preview of this intriguing matchup.
Iran are riding a wave of momentum right now after stitching a dramatic 1-0 victory over Morocco on Friday. Iran and Morocco were looking to exit the match with one point apiece until the Princes of Persia netted in a goal in extra time. It would take more than momentum for the Iranians to conquer Spain, however. As huge underdogs, all hands will have to be on deck for Iran, but they could be missing one of their best players in the crucial showdown with the world superpower. Forward Alireza Jahanbakhsh was hurt in the clash with the North Africans and his availability for Wednesday’s outing is currently in jeopardy. Iran’s defense will be a man focus also in this match. They were able to hold their own against Morocco with outstanding defense, thanks in large part to goalie Alireza Beiranvand, who played a key role in snuffing all of Morocco’s 13 shots attempts.
Betting on Spain (-675)
The Spanish armada of talented players were able to get the team a point following a 3-3 draw with Iberian rival Portugal in their own World Cup opener. While Portugal had a Cristiano Ronaldo, Spain had Diego Costa, who netted two goals on three shot attempts. Costa will look to test whether his feet is still smoking following that incredible performance when he and La Roja face off with Iran. While the Iranians have some good players in their fold, Spain will not have to worry themselves about dealing with someone on the same level with Ronaldo. Still, they have some holes to fix on their defense that was exposed by Portugal. Spain have been undefeated over their past six matches, a stretch that includes three draws and wins over Tunisia and Argentina.
