Costa Rica Vs Mexico
Costa Rica Vs Mexico Monday 6 September, 2021 – 00:00 (BST)
World Cup Qualifier (CONCACAF)
Pick: Mexico to WIN
Odds: 5/6
Bookmaker: Betway
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 4 September 2021)
Preview: Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica will host CONCACAF World Cup qualifying action between Costa Rica, who could only labour to a 0-0 draw last time out, and a Mexico side seeking to make it two wins from two.
World Cup Qualifying Betting at Betfair
Table of Contents
Costa Rica – Scoring touch deserted Los Ticos?
Three successive games without scoring. No goal in seven of eleven internationals played this year, in which their only wins have been against Guadeloupe, Suriname and Jamaica during the summer’s recent Gold Cup tournament. While it is clearly too early for alarm bells to be ringing – this is, after all, a nation with four World Cup appearances across the last five editions – their latest showing felt like more of the same.
Thursday’s goalless draw in Panama wasn’t a bad result on the face of it. Yet it was another dismal display from an ageing collective, albeit one not too dissimilar from that which secured qualification via a second place finish at this stage last time around. Los Ticos were second best throughout in Panama City, not even managing an effort on target. Next up Mexico, who they’ve not beaten for eight years (D6 L2).
Key Stat: Stretching right the way back to the start of 2020, Costa Rica haven’t managed a goal in 10 of 15 international games and are barely into double figures (10) over this period.
Mexico – Miserly El Tri expected to double up in San Jose?
As the highest ranked side in CONCACAF, it would constitute a huge shock were Mexico not to make it eight consecutive World Cup appearances in Qatar. Even more so after stealing an early march on their qualification rivals. El Tri’s 2-1 victory over Jamaica was the only one recorded during an opening round which featured three draws out of four, leaving it late to pick up three valuable points in Mexico City.
Although the win appeared doubtful as the minutes ticked away with the teams still locked at one goal apiece, the contest itself was incredibly one-sided with Mexico peppering the Jamaican goal. It also marked their third match in a row conceding at least once. They hadn’t been breached in seven successive games beforehand, averaging a highly impressive 0.53 conceded across 15 games in 2021.
Key Stat: Six out of the nine victories earned by Mexico in 2021 were in games which seen them record a clean sheet.
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Costa Rica Vs Mexico Betting Advice
As the only team to record a win on opening night of CONCACAF’s final stage of World Cup qualifying, Mexico are well and truly in the ascendancy. Tata Martino’s men make their way to Costa Rica now where a team evidently in decline, with two wins from their past 21 matches, await in San Jose. However, it has been nine years since El Tri last tasted victory in this neck of the woods, comprising a draw and a defeat.
Costa Rica Vs Mexico – Key Facts:
- Mexico are unbeaten in seven (W3 D4) when facing Costa Rica. The previous three encounters, however, produced only three goals with the most recent ending goalless.
- Having gone eight matches in a row without conceding earlier this year, Mexico have now conceded in each of their last three.
- However, with no goals scored across their last three fixtures, Costa Rica have now failed to find the back of the opposing team’s net in seven of their past eleven matches.
Mexico are unbeaten, however, in eight versus Costa Rica (W3 D5). The last three all being tight affairs, seeing just the three goals plundered between them. The most recent among them the goalless draw last June at the semi-final stage of the Nations League. With this in mind, and considering how lethargic this Costa Rican attack continues to be, a typically hard-fought win for Mexico looks to be on the cards.
Best Betting Odds – Costa Rica Vs Mexico
Costa Rica – 18/5 (Betfair)
Draw – 12/5 (PaddyPower)
Mexico -5/6 (Betway)
