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New Zealand and China meet in a friendly double header this month, starting on Thursday (March 23) at the Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland.
This will be their first pair of games since September last year when the All Whites played arch-rivals Australia twice in the space of three days in friendlies, losing both.
They will hope to start 2023 on a good note after calling up an experienced group of players for this month's fixtures, including veteran striker Chris Wood. The Nottingham Forest hitman, who has 70 caps, will look to extend his goalscoring record with the team, having struck 33 times, four more than any other player.
Defender Tommy Smith will look to earn his 50th cap with the New Zealand national team, while Kyle Adams and Callan Elliot could make their international debut.
China, meanwhile, begin preparations for the 2024 Asia Cup, for which they have qualified. They were set to host the tournament till the venue was changed to Qatar due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Dragon's Team will be in action for the first time since beating Hong Kong at the EAFF E-1 Football Championship.
New Zealand vs China Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- There have been 14 clashes between the two sides, with New Zealand winning half of them while China have won just once.
- New Zealand last beat China in August 1990 (1-0 in a friendly).
- The last three clashes between New Zealand and China have ended 1-1 (March 2011, November 2012 and November 2014).
- New Zealand have failed to score in their last five official games, having scored 18 in their previous five. They have also lost four of their last five matches.
- China have kept a clean sheet in their last two games (0-0 vs Japan and 1-0 vs Hong Kong in July 2022).
New Zealand vs China Prediction
China are ranked 25 places above New Zealand but haven't played in a while, which could be a limiting factor. New Zealand have announced a strong squad and have home advantage as well, so a win shouldn't be beyond them.
Prediction: New Zealand 1-0 China
New Zealand vs China Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: New Zealand
Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Under 2.5
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: No
