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Russia vs New Zealand - 2017 Confederations Cup Preview and Odds


Published on: 15/06/2017

Russia vs New Zealand - 2017 Confederations Cup Preview and Odds

June 17, 2017 16:00pm - Stadion Krestovskyi

Confederations Cup - Group A

The 2017 Confederations Cup will kick off in the spectacular surroundings of St. Petersburg on Saturday as hosts Russia look to please the home crowd with victory over tournament underdogs New Zealand. The action will take place at the 68,000 capacity Stadion Krestovskyi which has the dubious honour of being the world`s most expensively constructed football stadium.

The home side have hardly made any waves in international football in recent years and they haven`t been given much of a chance here by the international Press following their poor showing at Euro 2016. But those low expectations might just work in their favour as Coach Stanislav Cherchesov sets about building a team for the future.

The squad features some exciting young talent while still making use of some older, more experienced heads. This event should provide a reliable gauge to the progress being made during this transitional phase, with next year`s World Cup as the main focus. As a result, youngsters such as Ilya Kutepov, Aleksei Miranchuk, Georgi Dzhikiya and Aleksandr Golovin, could be given a chance to shine.

Last time out, the hosts played out a friemdly draw against Chile and prior to that, they beat Hungary and drew with Belgium, also in friendly encounters. Their only defeat in their last five games came at home to Ivory Coast (0-2).

Meanwhile, rank outsiders New Zealand will be looking to avoid humiliation in what will be a tough group for the OFC Nations Cup champions. From beating Papua New Guinea via a penalty shootout last summer to qualify for this event, they must now face the likes of Russia, Portugal and Mexico with the eyes of the world watching.

Despite their lowly status, the Kiwis have one of their strongest squads in years and are certainly capable of making life difficult for their opponents. Having said that, if they can pick up any points at all in Group A, it should be considered a success.

Boss Anthony Hudson will call upon the likes of Leeds United`s Chris Wood and Sunderland`s Sam Brotherton for this opener, and will be looking to build on the solid displays seen in recent friendly defeats to Northern Ireland and Belarus.

Recent form (All competitions)

Russia: DWDLW

New Zealand: LLWWD

Betting odds and tips

There is just too much quality in the Russia line-up to expect anything other than a win for the hosts, especially in the opening game of a home tournament.

New Zealand failed to score in three of their last four away matches and their chance will be limited again here.

You can back Russia to Win to Nil at 5/6 with Bet365.

By Neil Morris

Russia v New Zealand Live Betting Odds - FIFA Confederations Cup

Home Win
3/10
Draw
9/2
Away Win
13/1

Published on: 15/06/2017

Any odds displayed within this preview were correct at the time of publishing (15/06/2017 10:06:38) but are subject to change.

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