New Zealand Women vs Norway Women Prediction and Betting Tips
New Zealand and Norway square off in the opening fixture of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup at Eden Park on Thursday (July 20).
The Football Ferns are co-hosts of the tournament. They finalised their preparations for the competition with a 1-0 defeat against Italy in a friendly last weekend, thanks to Valentina Giacenti's 23rd-minute strike.
Norway, meanwhile, shared the spoils in a six-goal thriller against their Scandinavian neighbours Sweden. An exciting end to the game saw both sides score in injury time, with Frida Leonhardsen-Maanum bagging a brace for the Norwegians.
The Grasshoppers booked their spot in the World Cup as group winners in Group F of the qualifiers. Switzerland and the Philippines complete the quartet of teams in Group A.
New Zealand Women vs Norway Women Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- This will be the ninth meeting between the two sides, with Norway leading 6-1.
- The two sides were also grouped together in the first World Cup in 1991, where Norway won 1-0.
- Eight of New Zealand's last nine games have seen at least one team fail to score.
- New Zealand have won one of their last 11 games, losing eight.
- Norway have won one of their last seven games.
- Norway have participated in all nine editions of the FIFA Women's World Cup. They have failed to make it out of the group stage just once.
- New Zealand failed to make it out of the group stage in five previous tournaments and are winless in 15 World Cup games.
New Zealand Women vs Norway Women Prediction
Norway are one of the most successful sides in women's football but have fallen from their previous high standards and been overtaken by other nations in recent years. Their form coming into the tournament is also less than ideal, having failed to win their last four games.
New Zealand, meanwhile, are the co-hosts of the tournament but are heavy underdogs to make an impact. They also struggled to prove themselves in friendlies before the tournament.
Expect Norway to kickstart their campaign on a positive note with a comfortable win against the co-hosts.
Prediction: New Zealand 0-2 Norway
New Zealand Women vs Norway Women Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Norway to win
Tip 2 - Both teams to score: No
Tip 3 - Under 2.5 goals
Tip 4 - Norway to score in both halves
