Belgium VS Costa Rica Match Prediction
2018-06-11
18:45:00
Belgium
VS
Costa Rica
Our Prediction Tip
Belgium will win this match.
2018-06-1118:45:00 Belgium will win this match.
Belgium and Costa Rica's only prior meeting was in a 2002 friendly in which Belgium won by a single goal to nil.
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Ladbrokes have the following odds available for this match:
Belgium are at 2/13 to win, a draw is at 11/2, and a Costa Rica win is at 18/1.
No for both teams scoring is at 4/7.
Qualification went very well for each team. Belgium led the way in Group H in UEFA, and they did so by quite a decisive margin. They finished the group having taken 28 points from a possible 30, all while scoring an astonishing 43 goals and only giving up six. Three of those came away to Bosnia in one game, a game in which they won, so it's all the more impressive due to their ability to win in a number of different ways. Costa Rica also got the perfect finish to qualification as they end up breezing through CONCACAF and its Hexagonal stage. They finished second and though they only had slightly more than half of the possible total of points on offer, they were never in danger of not automatically booking their place in Russia. They even had the ability to let their foot off the gas just a little toward the end.
Belgium have won seven times and drawn just twice in nine matches in the past year. They have kept six clean sheets in that time, so they might be mistaken for a defensive team. But that is not the case, as they have shown a cutting edge that is required at occasion. In two of the matches in which they gave up goals, they scored at least three times. It's the skill to be punched in the face and keep moving that could be dangerous if they bring it with them to Russia. Costa Rica have seven wins, three draws, and six losses in the past year. They have lost five of their last seven games, though, causing some real concern for them. They also have not seen both teams score in any of their last five games. With that said, they proved last cycle that they can do far better than people imagined, and they'll be looking to prove all of the naysayers wrong once more.
Going forward, both teams will have tough tests in the group stage. Belgium are in Group G, with Panama, England, and Tunisia. Panama is likely the reason they are facing Costa Rica, as honestly the Ticos are a better version of that side. The other two teams have strengths, especially England, but Belgium are heavily tipped to win the group. Even big wins over the smaller teams, Tunisia and Panama, could allow them to top the group by drawing England. Costa Rica will be in Group E with Brazil, Switzerland, and Serbia. They are trying to get acquainted more with European teams, and this is a chance to do that. The group doesn't look like it suits them well at all on paper, but the same was said four years ago when they won their group and went to the quarterfinals.
Belgium are at 2/13 to win with Bet365.
Draw is at 11/2 with Bet365.
Costa Rica win is at 18/1 with Bet365.
No for both teams scoring is at 4/7 with Bet365.
Betfair have 3-0 to Belgium at 6.5 odds.
Belgium winning after both half and full time at 1.61 with Betfair.
This Belgium team is going to be tough to beat for Costa Rica, especially after the way they played against England. With no offense intended, Belgium are favored over the English until the Three Lions prove otherwise. Belgium should roll on.
Roberto Martinez, 14-5-1 as Belgian manager, will have a full week between this friendly and the beginning of group stage play in Russia, so he should be looking to get more time for his main core of players. That means not too much rotation should take place. One player almost certain to miss out is center back Vincent Kompany, who picked up a knock against Portugal.
One of the more underrated and possibly unknown players, if there is such in this Belgian squad, is Yannick Carrasco. The winger-turned-wingback made a controversial switch to Chinese club side Dalian Yifang from Atletico Madrid in the transfer window that had everyone questioning him, but he has still remained a starter for this Red Devils side. And he showed the reason why when he had an assist in the win over Egypt for Eden Hazard's goal, prompting his inclusion here.
Belgium have three wins and two draw in their last five matches:
3-0 home win vs Egypt
0-0 home draw vs Portugal
4-0 home win vs Saudi Arabia
1-0 home win vs Japan
3-3 home draw vs Mexico
Oscar Ramirez, 20-10-12 as Ticos boss, will look for his side to bounce back from their loss to England on Thursday with a good showing here. His team is led by a great goalkeeper in Keylor Navas, a Champions League winner and by several good defenders as well. Midfielder Osvaldo Rodriguez and forward David Ramirez, who has four goals in 17 caps, have been just a couple of the casualties.
The stats don't always show it to be the case, but Marco Urena is one of the most important players on both the Costa Rica team and his club side. At LAFC, he has flourished this season, becoming a focal point of the expansion side by making great runs that open up space for his teammates and by passing the ball on to players in better positions. He also doesn't have great numbers in MLS, but that hasn't stopped him from being a threat, and it won't against Belgium and fellow MLS man and teammate Laurent Ciman.
Costa Rica have three losses and two wins in their last five matches:
2-0 loss at England
3-0 home win vs Northern Ireland
1-0 loss at Tunisia
0-1 win at Scotland
1-0 loss at Hungary
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