Colombia have been knocking on the door of South American supremacy for a while now but Argentina still hold the top spot. Two years back they fell short in extra time during the Copa America final in the States and that still stings. Their World Cup qualifying campaign went smoothly though finishing third with just four losses across eighteen games. Recent friendlies have been tough with defeats to Croatia and France but the summer schedule looks much easier and the World Cup group stage does not seem too daunting on paper.
Team Form
Colombia have shown they can handle most opponents except the very best European sides. Costa Rica on the other hand missed out on the World Cup after losing on the final day to Honduras and their recent record is poor with just one win in ten outings. They did beat Nicaragua four one but then suffered a heavy five nil defeat to Iran which highlighted their current struggles.
- Colombia lost only four of eighteen qualifiers
- Costa Rica have one victory in their last ten matches
- Colombia sit third in South American qualifying
- Costa Rica failed to reach the World Cup
Tactical Analysis
At home Colombia should control the game from the start using their pace on the wings and strong midfield presence to stretch Costa Rica. The visitors look short on confidence after missing the big tournament and may sit deep which could lead to an open contest once Colombia break them down. Expect plenty of set piece chances for the hosts and possible mistakes from a tired Costa Rica backline under pressure.
Strengths for Colombia include solid qualifying form and attacking options while their weakness lately has been against top European teams. Costa Rica show fighting spirit in patches but lack finishing and defensive organisation right now.
Betting Proposal
With home advantage and better recent results Colombia are expected to run up a good score against a side that has struggled badly. The visitors have almost no wins lately and face a tough task away from home. A comfortable victory with a couple of goals margin looks likely given the gap in current form and motivation.
Colombia to win with an Asian handicap of minus one point five at odds of one point eight zero.
