Spain vs Costa Rica Prediction & Tips
Spain and Costa Rica, who have never faced each other in an official clash, will be pitted against each other on the first day of Group E of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Spanish national team faces a new challenge under Luis Enrique, who played in three World Cups as a player, and who has been widely criticized for leaving out veteran players such as Sergio Ramos and Iago Aspas. “I have no doubt, there is no better coach than me in the history of world soccer. It’s not true, but I believe it,” the Asturian coach said recently. Up to 20 of the 26 players in the Spanish squad are participating in their first World Cup.
Luis Enrique continues to bet on youngsters in a team with Sergio Busquets, the only player from the 2010 South Africa 2010 champion team present in this edition. Spain reached the semifinals of Euro 2020 before finishing top of their group in World Cup qualifying, and having lost only one of their last 11 matches – the Spanish team beat Jordan 3-1 in a friendly last Thursday – the three-time European champions are full of confidence heading into a tournament in which they are fourth favorites, according to Opta.
Led by Luis Fernando Suarez, Costa Rica is not an easy team to beat, but in a group that also includes Germany and Japan, the Ticos have only a 9.8% chance of advancing to the next stage – the lowest percentage of any team before the start of the tournament – according to Opta. Nevertheless, the Costa Rican team is playing in its third consecutive World Cup (record), and Suarez will try to repeat or even improve on the quarterfinals reached in 2014, when the Tico squad topped a group shared with three world champions (England, Italy and Uruguay).
The Central American team arrives ready to surprise again, but does so on the back of a six-match winless streak in the World Cup (E3, P3 – excluding penalties), and having clinched its place in Qatar with a 1-0 playoff win over New Zealand. A good number of players present at the 2014 World Cup remain in the ranks of Costa Rica, an experienced team that has been defeated in only one of its last ten official matches, and that can put Spain in trouble.
Key battle: In a Spain side suffering from a lack of goals in recent times, the contribution of winger Ferran Torres (FC Barcelona), who will be looking for his first goal in a World Cup after scoring four goals in six qualifying matches, will be important. Veteran goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who has kept three 90-minute clean sheets in the World Cup, will try to prevent him from doing so. This will be his third consecutive appearance in the tournament.
Fast Fact: Costa Rica has not conceded more than one goal in 10 of its last 11 official matches.
World Cup trivia: Spain conceded just two goals at South Africa 2010, the fewest ever by a World Cup winner.
Spain – Costa Rica FREE TIPS
OVER 2.5 GOALS @ 2.25
