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Iraq will be eyeing their biggest-ever upset when they take on Spain at Estadio Riazor on Thursday.
The visitors are coming off back-to-back wins and will look to keep their momentum going ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
Spain, on the other hand, will look to extend their unbeaten run across all competitions to nine matches.
Read our Spain vs Iraq prediction, preview and betting tips below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Spain vs Iraq key stats
- Spain are currently on an eight-match unbeaten run.
- At least four goals were scored in three of Spain's last five games.
- Iraq found the net in 10 of their last 13 outings across all competitions.
Spain vs Iraq preview: Can the visitors hold their own?
| Spain | vs | Iraq |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd | FIFA Ranking | 57th |
| Rodri (61) | Most Caps | Jalal Hassan (100) |
| Mikel Oyarzabal (24) | Most Goals | Aymen Hussein (33) |
| 707 | Total Caps | 787 |
| 114 | Total Goals | 88 |
| 1 | Uncapped Players | 0 |
Spain have been a tough team to beat, as their only defeat since March 2024 has come from a penalty shootout. La Roja have lined up preparatory friendlies against Iraq and Peru ahead of their World Cup opener against Cape Verde.
Coach Luis de la Fuente has a fairly fit 26-man squad ahead of these friendlies, but he's expected to heavily rotate the lineup against Iraq on Thursday to manage player workload.
Youngsters Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams are both recovering from moderate hamstring injuries to their left legs, making them unavailable for this game.
Midfield veteran Fabian Ruiz, who recently won the UEFA Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, will join De la Fuente's troops on the day of this friendly. This means he may miss the encounter or see very limited minutes.
On the other hand, Iraq are brimming with confidence after qualifying for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1986. The visitors have five wins in their last seven matches and have lost only twice in their last 13 games in all competitions.
However, compared to the teams they have faced in that stretch, Spain will be a much bigger fish to fry. The only other encounter between these sides took place during the FIFA Confederations Cup in June 2009, with La Roja winning 1-0.
Coach Graham Arnold substituted the entire starting XI that took to the field against Andorra last Friday, a move that keeps every member of the team fresh. The visitors have a clean bill of health.
After this clash, the Lions of Mesopotamia will take on Venezuela in their last preparatory match at the SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, before flying to Massachusetts for their World Cup opener against Norway at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
Spain vs Iraq form guide & betting tips
| Spain | vs | Iraq |
|---|---|---|
W
W
D
W
D
|
Form |
W
L
L
W
W
|
| A | Goals For | B |
| A | Goals Against | B |
D
W
W
W
D
|
International Friendly Form |
W
|
Whispers Predicts: Spain 3-1 Iraq
At 1/20 (1.05), Spain are clearly favoured by the bookmakers ahead of this encounter.
However, despite being the overwhelming underdogs, we fancy the visitors finding the net at 7/4 (2.75). they did so in 10 of their last 13 fixtures.
Interestingly, although Spain kept four clean sheets in their last five games, three of those went above the 3.5-goal threshold.
On that note, over 3.5 total goals can be backed at 39/50 (1.78).
> Over 3.5 total goals at 39/50 (1.78) | Likelihood: Probable
> BTTS – Yes at 37/20 (2.85) | Likelihood: Possible
> Spain to win both halves at 3/5 (1.60) | Likelihood: Probable
> Spain & BTTS – Yes at 2/1 (3.00) | Likelihood: Possible
> Correct Score: 3-1 at 13/1 (14.00) | Likelihood: Outsider