After 90 minutes of both of the intercontinental playoffs for the 2018 World Cup, there isn't a goal to discuss. All is left to play for in the Australia/Honduras fixture and the Peru/New Zealand fixture, and it's a wonder if either of these matches will be decided in the cruelest of ways in a penalty shootout. There will surely be no shortage of drama on Wednesday night when the last two tickets to the World Cup will be handed out.
The Honduras/Australia match will be played at 4 a.m. ET on Wednesday, November 15 at Stadium Australia in Sydney. The Peru/New Zealand fixture will kick off live on beIN Sports from Estadio Nacional in Lima at 9:15 p.m. ET.
Australia vs. Honduras Odds at BookMaker.eu
Australia -165
Honduras +475
Draw +275
Over/Under 2.5
Honduras was out to make the opening leg of this home-and-home series as physical as possible, and if we're being honest, it accomplished that goal. There were a hefty eight yellow cards issued in the game and were 40 fouls. There were only 10 shots in the entire game, just five of which hit the target.
We really thought the Aussies would have been in a lot of trouble if they got into the physical match in a hostile territory, but they really held their own over the course of the entire 90 minutes. They were the better team every step of the way and had the better chances to score. The fact that they didn't put one in the back of the net might be seen as a big disappointment considering the effort, and now, they're going to need yet another clean sheet in all likelihood to advance to the World Cup.
Honduras is going to be in a different place for sure back in Sydney. The pitch in Australia is going to be a lot stronger than it was in Honduras, as the field was breaking up over the course of the whole match.
Watch out for Tomi Juric in this fixture. Juric had two great chances to get the ball in the back of the net in the first leg, and he's the man who could be the hero in his homeland on Wednesday night.
New Zealand vs. Peru Odds at BookMaker.eu
Peru -500
New Zealand +1400
Draw +525
Over/Under 2.5
New Zealand still faces long odds to get to the World Cup, but the team is a lot closer now than it was 90 minutes of gameplay ago against Peru.
The No. 10-ranked team in the world according to FIFA was the heavy favorite to advance to the World Cup in this home-and-home series, and it didn't really look like the better of the two teams on the pitch all the time. The All Whites weren't necessarily the aggressors, but they did have the best chance of the game with five minutes remaining when Ryan Thomas nailed the crossbar.
Peru did have the better run of play over the course of the entire match, but there was a big problem in the final third. Paolo Guerrero's suspension for his positive drug test is a proving to be a massive issue. Andre Carrillo and Edison Flores just weren't good enough in the last third. The team ripped 11 shots, just three of which reached the target.
Now, Peru is going to have a chance to come back to Lima with a shot to punch its first ticket to the World Cup for just the fifth time in its history.
This has been a fantastic year for the Peruvians. They are 5-4-0 in their nine matches this season, including winning four of the five matches played here in Lima. The team also has a 3-1 victory in a friendly over Jamaica in Arequipa.
If the All Whites are going to win this fixture, it almost seems like it's going to have to be in extra time or with a goal against the run of play. They're set to park the bus at the back and hope that the pressure starts to get to Peru, but there's surely a reason why the hosts are set as -500 favorites to win this match inside of 90 minutes.
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