Japan vs. Costa Rica - Betting tips, predictions, and odds
The FIFA World Cup continues with a Group E clash between Japan and Costa Rica at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium. Feel free to check out the best Japan vs. Costa Rica betting tips and predictions.
H2H, form, and stats
Japan and Costa Rica have met on three occasions, and all three matches were friendlies played in this century. Japan has two wins with a draw; the Samurai Blue won the most recent H2H in 2018 when it was 3-0.
Japan made one of the biggest shocks in the first round of this World Cup by defeating Germany 2-1. It didn't start well for the Japanese, though. Germany got to a 1-0 lead in the first half and dominated the possession (81%-19%), while Japan had zero attempts on target. The situation changed in the second half as Japan started playing better. After several crucial saves from goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda, who was guilty of Germany’s penalty in the opening half, Japan equalized through substitute Ritsu Doan in the 75th minute, while another sub Takuma Asano scored a great individual goal eight minutes later to make it 2-1 for Japan. Hajime Moriyasu’s men have lost only one game in the last seven (W4, D2).
Costa Rica is the biggest disappointment of the tournament so far. They didn't attempt a single shot in total in their opening game against Spain, in which they lost 7-0! It was only the second defeat in 14 games for the Costa Ricans, but boy, it was hard to watch for their fans. Los Ticos had just 18% of possession and were completely toothless in the attack. It was like looking at Spain playing against 11 little kids.
Injuries and squad news
Japan’s head coach Hajime Moriyasu will likely start some of the players he brought on in the second half against Germany and who changed the course of the game. Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kaoru Mitoma, Takuma Asano, Ritsu Doan, and Takumi Minamino all made an instant impact and played much better than the guys who left the pitch for them. All of these players deserve to start against Costa Rica, and we’d be surprised if Moriyasu decides to leave them on the bench again.
Costa Rica’s head coach Luis Fernando Suárez doesn't have such depth and quality players on the bench, so it doesn't look good for them on Sunday. Still, they are an experienced team and will try to put that devastating loss behind them and look for three points against Japan. We expect to see a much-improved performance from Los Ticos.
Japan vs. Costa Rica Betting predictions and odds
Well, the current odds on Japan vs. Costa Rica game can’t surprise us. Japan was a 2.45 favorite to win before the World Cup, but after that win over Germany and Costa Rica’s heavy loss to Spain, the odds dropped to 1.43! A draw is at 4.38, while if you believe Costa Rica can bounce back and answer with a victory, you can bet on them at 7.90. When it comes to goals, Over 2.5 goals is at 1.95, while Under 2.5 goals can be backed at 1.85.
Our best tip for Japan vs. Costa Rica game
Japan practically has a chance to book its ticket for the Round of 16 with three points here. They have better players and squad depth to work with and are lethal on the counter. Moriyasu knows that Costa Rica will have to attack from the start in order to score an early goal and get some relief off their shoulders, so we’re sure the Japanese head coach will exploit this and punish Los Ticos on counter-attacks. Japan has speedy players who have strong skills with the ball on their feet, and they could easily score two or three goals in this one. The odds on Japan’s win are far from being attractive, so we’re going with goals.
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Japan vs. Costa Rica: Where to watch? Date, hour, and TV schedule
- FIFA World Cup
- Venue: Ahmad bin Ali Stadium (Al Rayyan)
- Sunday, November 27, 2022
- 11 AM CET
To check the full TV schedule visit https://www.protipster.com/football-live-stream.
