New Zealand v Fiji Betting Tips [21 March 2022]

New Zealand  and Fiji will be in Qatar to face off for the second round of the Oceania region World Cup qualifiers in Group B. The two Pacific Ocean rivals secured wins in their opening games and are tied at three points in the tougher of the two groups. New Zealand, though understrength, beat Papua New Guinea 1-0 in their opening game and will be eyeing a second win here. The top two sides in each group qualify for the semi finals and New Zealand will head into this game a much stronger side. A number of key players missed the Papua New Guinea game including Newcastle United’s Chris Wood but they are expected to feature here as the All Whites look to build on. Ben Waine scored the only goal in the opening game, and having dominated Fiji in previous meetings, New Zealand go into this game as favourites. They have 30 wins in 40 meetings with Fiji and they go into this game unbeaten in 19 World Cup qualification matches in Oceania region.

Fiji was the last team to beat New Zealand in a World Cup qualifier in Oceania region and that was way back in 2008. Four meetings have come after that, all in World Cup qualification, and Fiji have lost all. In their opening Group B game, Fiji needed a late Sairusi Nalaubu goal to beat New Caledonia 2-1. Naulubu had given them the lead early in the game too. Roy Krishna recovered from injury to feature in their opening win and he will surely be a starter here. The Mohun Bagan forward will team up with Naulubu upfront. Fiji haven't had a very good run in these matches; in their last 10 games in World Cup qualification, they’ve managed just two wins. Four times in the last five, they’ve conceded two goals and they have no clean sheet in the five matches. Fiji have failed to score in two of their last five matches in World Cup qualification, though in two of their last three they have managed two goals.

Fiji do not have a run as good as New Zealand’s, plus New Zealand have their full squad available after playing understrength in the last game. New Zealand have a great run against Fiji and with a full -strength team, we will back them to lead in both halves.