Will the DFB team make it to the last 16?
Although the German national football team is still winless and has only picked up one point out of a possible six from its first two games, its chances of reaching the last 16 are still there.
Even better: the bookmakers’ forecasts for a German entry into the knockout phase are even favourable!
The DFB team can thank their upcoming opponents Costa Rica, who beat Japan 1-0 on the second matchday, for this. In order to make it through the group stage, however, the bet on Germany against Costa Rica must go in favour of the 2014 world champions.
Hansi Flick’s side will also need help from Spain. After all, the Furia Roja must not lose to Japan in the parallel match. The intermediate score in the parallel match could also have a direct influence on the match between Costa Rica and Germany, which fans of cultivated sports betting should definitely take into account.
In principle, the DFB team, which was also one of the 2022 World Cup contenders overall, is the clear favourite going into the third group match. Not only did Germany win the only international match against the Ticos in the opening game of the 2006 World Cup 4:2, but Costa Rica have also been extremely weak, especially offensively. The Central Americans have only scored one goal, which was enough for a 1-0 win against Japan.
However, it should also be taken into account that the Germans were already favoured against Japan and found it extremely difficult to make the game and take their chances. Accordingly, it is interesting to give the Costa Ricans an Asian handicap of +2.5 and bet on Germany winning by a maximum of two goals difference.
Germany – Statistics & current form
The German national football team showed a clear improvement in performance against Spain, but their backs are against the wall after two winless group matches as they currently sit fourth in the table. In addition to a win against Costa Rica, the DFB team needs help from the Spanish, who cannot afford to lose to Japan.
If they fail to do so, the Germans could be eliminated from the preliminary round of the World Cup for the second time in a row, after the four-time World Champions had always made it through the group stage of the previous 16 World Cups. Hansi Flick could also become the first Germany coach of all time to go winless in his first three World Cup matches.
No clean sheet for six World Cup games
At least the bookmakers have no doubts that the Germans will take the three points in their third group match after three winless World Cup matches in a row (one draw, two defeats). The odds on Germany against Costa Rica are clearly in favour of the DFB team, which has always won the third group game in six of the last seven World Cup finals.
In addition to a much better chance conversion – so far 37 shots on goal in two World Cup matches have resulted in only two goals – the current number eleven in the FIFA world rankings also needs more defensive stability. They have conceded at least one goal in each of their last six World Cup matches.
Will Hansi Flick start Niclas Füllkrug from the beginning?
It is also interesting to note that in both of Germany’s World Cup group matches, the team that scored the goal to make it 1-0 did not come away winners. Against Japan, Flick’s team squandered their lead (1:2) before wild card Niclas Füllkrug scored a well-deserved equaliser against Spain (1:1).
It remains to be seen whether the full-blooded striker has earned himself a starting spot against the Ticos or whether even Kai Havertz will return to the starting eleven in the end. In any case, it is a fact that Germany’s lack of goals is also linked to players like Thomas Müller. After scoring ten goals in his first twelve World Cup matches, the 33-year-old has been waiting for another goal for six World Cup matches and is still without a goal in the current tournament.
Predicted line-up of Germany:
Neuer – Raum – Rüdiger – Süle – Kehrer – Goretzka – Kimmich – Musiala – Sané – Gnabry – Havertz
Last matches played by Germany:
World Cup Group E
28/11/2022 – Spain 1 – 1 Germany
23/11/2022 – Germany 1 – 2 Japan
Friendlies
16/11/2022 – Oman 0 – 1 Germany
UEFA Nations League A Grp. 3
27/09/2022 – England 3 – 3 Germany
24/09/2022 – Germany 0 – 1 Hungary
Costa Rica – Statistics & current form
The Costa Rican national football team is making its sixth appearance at a World Cup finals, missing out only on the tournament in South Africa this millennium. The last time was in Russia in 2018, when they finished with just one point out of a possible nine in the preliminary round. In 2014, however, the Ticos had a really good run.
Not only did Costa Rica beat four-time world champions Italy in Brazil, but they also beat Uruguay. The Central Americans won the group, which also included England, and even reached the quarter-finals in the end. In fact, eight years later, there are still six players in the World Cup squad who actively witnessed this milestone.
Only one shot on goal in the tournament
The Ticos have not really arrived in the tournament yet, though. On the first day of play, Costa Rica went down to a 7-0 defeat by Spain, before Luis Fernando Suárez’s side recorded a 1-0 win over Japan on the second day of play, which nobody really knew how it came about.
While none of Japan’s three shots on goal were on target despite an xG (expected goals) value of 0.88, Keysher Fuller scored the golden goal with the only Costa Rican shot on target so far in the tournament. A goal that was enough to win the tournament despite an xG value of 0.11.
Sure of a place in the last 16 with a win against Germany
If Costa Rica’s bet on a win against Germany pans out, the supposed outsiders in World Cup 2022 Group E would even be sure of a place in the last 16. However, the Central Americans’ poor record against European nations speaks against them. Costa Rica have won only one of their last eleven World Cup matches against a team from Europe (five draws, five defeats).
Should the Ticos manage a win, they would also be the first team in 68 years to survive a preliminary round in which a match was lost by at least seven goals. The last team to achieve this feat was Germany in 1954 (3:8 in the preliminary round against Hungary). How things went on then is well known…
Predicted line-up of Costa Rica:
Navas – Oviedo – Calvo – Waston – Duarte – Fuller – Tejeda – Borges – Campbell – Torres – Contreras
Last matches played by Costa Rica:
World Cup Group E
27/11/2022 – Japan 0 – 1 Costa Rica
23/11/2022 – Spain 7 – 0 Costa Rica
Friendlies
10/11/2022 – Costa Rica 2 – 0 Nigeria
27/09/2022 – Uzbekistan 1 – 2 Costa Rica
23/09/2022 – South Korea 2 – 2 Costa Rica
Germany – Costa Rica Direct comparison / H2H balance
Head to head: 0 – 0 – 1
Only one international match has taken place between the two nations, dating back to the 2006 World Cup. In the opening match, the DFB team won 4:2 in Munich.
Germany – Costa Rica Tip
In the run-up to the deciding match between Costa Rica and Germany, the betting odds are clearly in favour of the DFB team. However, the match against Japan already showed that the 2018 World Cup preliminary round has not yet completely disappeared from the back of Germany’s mind.
Because on the one hand, the defence is always shaky, while on the other hand, the chance exploitation remains the big shortcoming, the four-time world champions could make life unnecessarily difficult for themselves again against the Ticos.
Our prediction for Germany against Costa Rica is a German victory. In the end, however, it could be very close, which is why we are betting on the Ticos with an Asian handicap of +2.5. This also automatically includes any Central American coup and any German victory with a maximum two-goal lead.
