Spain vs. Costa Rica Prediction

• Where: Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar
• When: Wednesday, November 23, 19:00 pm local time

Spain and Costa Rica open the World Cup on Monday. The Red Fury is the absolute favorite in this game, but Costa Rica has a history of making massive surprises at the World Cup, so they can’t be underestimated. We are aware that this unit doesn’t have the same quality as in the past, but their presence in Qatar is crucial proof that they still have quality. As for the Spanish side, many see them as a potential dark horse, but others believe they will be a bust. The opinions on this crew are divided for the moment.

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Spain

Gavi and Pedri, that is what everyone sees in this team. And really, these two guys are wunderkinds, and be sure they will rule this game for the years to come. The only question is whether they have the power to start it right away.

Spain had one defeat in the past 10 games, which was in the UNL against Switzerland, 0-1. But still, they ended up atop the standings, in their group, beating Portugal on the road in the final contest, 0-1. It signals that this team is already mature enough to handle pressure and hostile circumstances. 

Luis Enrique replicated Barcelona’s tika-taka playstyle to the Spanish game plan, with the only difference being that he struggles to find a suitable striker. If the Red Fury had a decent forward, capable of having a solid finishing percentage, they would be among the top contenders to win the title. But they have Alvaro Morata. 

Costa Rica

The Ticos had to go through the playoffs to reach Qatar, and they defeated New Zealand to take the ticket to the World Cup. It was a strange match in which Costa Rica scored in the third minute and, after that, defended until the end, allowing the Kiwis to take the initiative and attack. 

This unit has only one defeat in the last 13 events, and that one was in the CONCACAF Nations League to Panama, in a game that didn’t have too much of a competitive motive.

Their tactics are very defensive-minded, and the first objective is to protect their own goal, and only then to attack. That’s why we saw plenty of clean sheets in their performances in recent times. Costa Rica started the World Cup qualifiers pretty poorly, but later shifted into a higher gear and had six wins and a draw in the last seven games.

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Spain vs. Costa Rica Possible Lineups

Spain: De Gea; Carvajal, Garcia, Torres, Alba; Koke, Rodri, Pedri, Gabi; Morata, Torres

Costa Rica: Navas; Martinez, Duarte, Calvo, Oviedo; Borges, Tejeda; Torres, Ruiz, Fuller; Campbell

Spain vs. Costa Rica Head-to-Head Games

Spain met with Costa Rica in 2017 in a friendly international, and they blew away the rivals 5-0. Two years earlier, we saw one more friendly game, and Spain won that one as well, 2-1. 

Spain vs. Costa Rica Prediction

The Spanish team will have trouble breaking the Costa Rican defense, but we still believe in Red Fury’s victory. They are simply a better team. 

Our verdict: Spain wins

Spain vs. Costa Rica Odds

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