Japan v Costa Rica Betting Tips [27 November 2022]

Japan look to follow up their win over Germany with a victory against Costa Rica at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium,  The two sides had starkly contrasting fortunes in their opening games. Japan cruised to an impressive comeback against Germany, with their 2-1 victory another big upset in the opening days of this World Cup. The Japanese were resolute, remained unfazed by Germany’s goal and period of dominance and eventually took their chances when these presented themselves, to emerge as strong contenders to clinch the coveted ticket to the Round of 16. Form wise, Japan have been impressive in recent games, losing just one of their last seven internationals and keeping five clean sheets in the process. The Blue Samurais were also fortunate to have their Bundesliga stars in full force against Germany, with Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano stealing the show with a goal each. Japan also have tradition going for them in this one, having won two and drawn one of their previous three matchups against Costa Rica, scoring seven times in the process.

 Even if Costa Rica’s most pessimistic supporter envisioned their opener against Spain, they still would not have predicted what was to come. The Central American side was down by three goals at the break, with the final 7-0 demolition painting an accurate picture of their inferiority in that encounter. They were slow on the ball, shaky at the back and toothless in attack.Major and immediate changes are required if they are to get anything from this game against Japan. Overall however, Costa Rica have not been that poor formwise. This was just their second defeat in their last fourteen games, including a draw against fellow Asian powerhouse South Korea during that run. On the downside, they have not always been efficient on the attacking aspect of the game in their travels. They have failed to score in seven of their last twelve away games, netting just once in their previous two away encounters against the Japanese. To make matters worse, Costa Rica have rarely won on the big stage of late, remaining winless in their last seven World Cup matchups, and are destined to struggle against a disciplined and clinical Japanese outfit.

Japan rose to the occasion against Germany, claiming a shocking yet justified victory. They now need to make it count against a Costa Rica completely low on morale to boost their chances of qualification. Given the Central American outfit’s poor showing against Spain and poor away performances, backing the Japanese to win with a clean sheet is the smartest play in this one.

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