Costa Rica vs Panama Predictions & Betting Tips, Match Previews

Costa Rica and Panama have both already booked their place in the final group stage and will be using this match as preparation for it. Costa Rica are currently 3 points clear at the top of the group but there is no great incentive to top it, so this game is little more than a glorified friendly. The countries do share a border though so local pride is at stake!

Costa Rica always seem to turn it on when World Cup qualifying comes around and they’ve made light work of this group in truth. They won 2-1 in Panama earlier in the campaign to really put themselves in a good position and 2 wins against Haiti and 4 points from their games with Jamaica secured their progress. The 2014 World Cup Quarter Finalists are still pretty strong at the back and have only conceded 2 goals in the group so Panama will have to work very hard to create much here.

Panama have come very close to World Cup qualification in recent times and will be hoping that this is finally going to be their time. A 2-0 home win against Jamaica on Friday secured their progress and their style of play isn’t vastly different from that of their rivals. Apart from that defeat to Costa Rica, they’ve kept clean sheets in all their other group games.

These sides will meet twice more in the more important final section so it’s a good opportunity to size each other up once more, but they won’t want to give too much away, so a cagey game could well be the result. Both sides are stronger at the back than up front and it’s hard to see there being many goals in this one so backing Under 2 Goal Line at 2.075 looks to offer value.