Spain vs Costa Rica prediction: WORLD: World Cup betting tips on match 2022-11-22 16:00.
Spain meet Costa Rica for the first round of World Cup Group E fixtures, in what will mark a maiden competitive meeting between the sides. Spain manager Luis Enrique, who played in three editions of this competition for La Roja, has been criticised for his exclusion of senior players ahead of the tournament, but stated "How can I doubt myself? I am the best coach on earth" with 20 of Spain’s 26-player squad now making their first appearance at a World Cup.
Enrique has been rewarded for his faith in youth and they’ll be shepherded by Sergio Busquets, who is the only remaining player from their famous triumph in 2010. Spain reached the semi finals of Euro 2020 last year before then topping their World Cup qualification group, and with just one loss across their last 11 outings, including a 3-1 victory over Jordan in Thursday’s preparation friendly, belief is growing for a side ranked as fourth favourites by Opta.
Luis Fernando Suárez’s Costa Rica side are no pushovers but the strength of a group that also contains Germany and Japan, means Los Ticos were given just a 9.8% chance of progression – the lowest of any side pre-tournament according to Opta. Yet despite that this is their record third-consecutive competition appearance, and Suárez will be looking to replicate Costa Rica’s impressive run to the quarter finals in 2014, when they topped a group containing former world champions England, Italy and Uruguay.
They’ll aim to shock again but having only shaded qualification after a tense 1-0 victory over New Zealand in the intercontinental playoffs, ‘Los Ticos’ arrive looking to snap a six-match World Cup winless streak (D3, L3: excluding penalties). Suárez’s squad contains a host of players who featured back in 2014 however, and they’ve shown experience by tasting defeat in just one of their last ten competitive matches, so don’t be surprised if they push Spain all the way here.
Key battle: Some feel a youthful Spain side lack goals so they may be reliant on the performances of Barcelona’s Ferran Torres, who after scoring four times in six World Cup qualifying appearances will be looking for his first goal at the finals. He’ll face Costa Rica’s veteran goalkeeping hero Keylor Navas, who has three career shutouts within regulation time at the World Cup with this his third consecutive competition appearance.
Hot stat: Costa Rica have conceded one goal or none in ten of their last 11 competitive outings.
World Cup trivia: Spain conceded just two goals during their 2010 triumph, which is the joint-tournament fewest of any World Cup winner!