Two arch-rivals with an attacking logjam
After nine of 14 international matches played in CONCACAF World Cup Quali 2022, arch-rivals Honduras and El Salvador occupy the bottom two spots. The World Cup train is thus likely to leave without both nations, who have both made it to finals in the past but have currently lacked any punch, especially offensively.
While the Honduran national team is still winless and has scored only five goals in nine games, the Selecta already have one win, but only four goals in total. With the first leg between the two nations already ending 0-0, Honduras vs El Salvador odds are on for another very low-scoring and uneventful game.
In any case, neither nation is expected to put up much of a fight. Both teams already suffered another defeat on Thursday, which means that qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar would only be possible with adventurous arithmetic games. It can therefore be assumed that both nations, who lack offensive punch, will again have a hard time with each other in the direct duel.
Accordingly, we see a lot of value in Honduras against El Salvador in the betting that a maximum of one team will score.
Honduras – Statistics & current form
The Honduran national football team has already qualified for three World Cups. Apart from the 1982 finals in Spain, the Catrachos have taken part in two of the last three World Cups.
After appearing in South Africa in 2010 and Brazil in 2014, “La Bicolor” missed out on the finals in Russia by a wide margin. Since then, Honduras has been on the decline and remained winless for a long time.
Elf points behind fourth place
The Catrachos have not won any of their last twelve international matches (three draws, nine defeats). A record that has also led to the number 76 in the FIFA World Ranking currently holding the red lantern in the 3rd round of CONCACAF World Cup Quali 2022.
With only three of 27 possible points from the first nine games, it is practically certain that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will also take place without “La Bicolor”. With 15 points still to be awarded, the Honduran team is already eleven points off fourth place, which, moreover, would only put them into the intercontinental play-offs against a strong South American opponent.
Already 17 goals conceded from their nine qualifying matches
The Catrachos’ poor run so far has been down to a combination of a shaky defence, which has already conceded 17 goals, by far the most conceded in CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Round 3, and a lack of attacking punch.
It is therefore surprising that coach Hernán Darío Gómez’s side are favourites going into Matchday 10.
Predicted line-up of Honduras:
Lopez – D. Rodríguez – Figueroa – Maldonado – Quaye – Quioto – E. Rodríguez – Mejía – Arriaga – Elis – Lozano
Last matches played by Honduras:
World Cup Qualifiers CONCACAF Finals
01/28 2022 – Honduras 0 – 2 Canada
Friendly match
01/16 2022 – Colombia 2 – 1 Honduras
World Cup Qualifier CONCACAF Finals
11/17 2021 – Costa Rica 2 – 1 Honduras
11/13 2021 – Honduras 2 – 3 Panama
10/14 2021 – Honduras 0 – 2 Jamaica
El Salvador – Statistics & current form
The Salvadoran national football team has so far successfully qualified for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico and the 1982 World Cup in Spain. Even 40 years after the Selecta’s last appearance at a finals, however, there is not much to suggest that the football dwarf will make a comeback.
On Thursday, El Salvador lost 1-0 to the USA and thus remained without a win in their fifth consecutive qualifying match. Eight points off fourth place in the table, Hugo Pérez’s side are unlikely to be able to win anything either
Won only one of their last eight internationals against Honduras
There is still something more at stake for El Salvador in their visit to Honduras. Based on the deciding match to qualify for the 1970 World Cup, which the Selecta ultimately won on neutral ground in Mexico, a war between the two countries that raged for over ten years finally broke out.
A Salvadoran minority still lives in Honduras. An away win against their arch-rivals, who have only won one of their last eight international matches (three draws, four defeats), would be celebrated accordingly.
The weakest attack in CONCACAF World Cup Quali 2022
Honduras’ betting on an away win for the Selecta against El Salvador is ill-fated, as the Salvadoran national team travels to the Estadio Olimpico with the weakest attack in the entire 3rd round of the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers.
The 70th-ranked team in the FIFA World Ranking scored just four goals in their nine matches in the 3rd Round of the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers. The Salvadoran defence was much better than the home side, conceding eleven goals. However, if the attack fails again, another goalless draw would probably be the best that the Pérez team can get out of their arch-rivals.
Predicted line-up of El Salvador:
González – Larin – Dominguez – Vigil – Tamacas – Cerén – Landaverde – Hernández – Henriquez – Roldan – Gil
Last matches played by El Salvador:
World Cup Qualifiers CONCACAF Finals
01/28 2022 – USA 1 – 0 El Salvador
Friendly match
12/12 2021 – El Salvador 0 – 1 Chile
12/05 2021 – El Salvador 1 – 1 Ecuador
World Cup Qualifiers CONCACAF Finals
11/17 2021 – Panama 2 – 1 El Salvador
11/13 2021 – El Salvador 1 – 1 Jamaica
Honduras – El Salvador Direct comparison / H2H balance
Head to head: 36 – 18 – 14
There have been a total of 68 meetings between the former arch-rivals so far and with 36 victories Honduras leads the direct comparison by a very clear margin. The first leg in San Salvador last ended in a goalless draw on 5 September 2021.
Honduras – El Salvador betting tips
With Honduras against El Salvador, the prediction goes very clearly to the next low-scoring duel between two great rivals who both only have mathematical chances to solve the World Cup ticket. Realistically, however, both nations have long known that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will take place without them. Accordingly, this direct duel is now only about prestige.
We expect two teams that are likely to focus primarily on avoiding mistakes. After all, with two offenses that lack punch, a goal resulting from a mistake has the potential to decide the entire match.
We see the greatest value in betting on a maximum of one nation scoring a goal.
