Spain will be bidding to get their World Cup campaign off to the best possible start when they take on Costa Rica in their Group E opener on Wednesday afternoon.

La Roja have found it difficult to impress in their two World Cups since lifting the trophy in 2010, but Costa Rica reached the quarter-final stage of the 2014 competition, which is their best performance in the finals.

Match preview

© Reuters

Spain lifted the World Cup for the first time in 2010, and it was an extraordinary period for the national side, as they also won Euro 2008 and Euro 2012 during a period of utter domination.

There is no getting away from the fact that it has been a difficult few years for La Roja by their own high standards, being eliminated in the group stage of the 2014 competition, losing two of their three matches in the finals, before exiting in the round of 16 last time out.

Spain were beaten on penalties by hosts Russia in the round of 16 in 2018, but they reached the semi-finals of Euro 2020 and are certainly capable of making a serious impression in this tournament due to their quality.

Luis Enrique's side will enter this game off the back of a 3-1 victory over Jordan on Thursday, which proved to be their first match since ending their UEFA Nations League campaign with a 1-0 win over Portugal at the end of September.

Spain finished top of League A Group 2 to advance to the semi-finals of the competition, while they comfortably secured their spot in the finals of the World Cup by finishing top of Group B, picking up 19 points from their eight matches courtesy of a record of six wins, one draw and one defeat.

Germany and Japan are also present in Group E, and the former will certainly be expecting to advance to the round of 16, with the match between the two favourites in the section scheduled for Sunday night.

© Reuters

Costa Rica first competed in the finals of the World Cup back in 1990, reaching the round of 16, before being eliminated in the group stage of the tournament in both 2002 and 2006.

Four years ago in Russia, the national side also went out in the group stage, but they famously reached the quarter-finals of the 2014 tournament, topping Group D ahead of Uruguay, Italy and England before overcoming Greece on penalties in the first knockout round.

Costa Rica then faced the Netherlands in the last eight of the competition, with Holland 4-3 winning on penalties following a goalless draw.

Los Ticos recorded a 2-0 victory over Nigeria in their last friendly on November 11, while they have only lost one of their last 13 matches in all competitions, so confidence in the camp should be high ahead of this game.

Head coach Luis Fernando Suarez will be managing in his third World Cup, having also led Ecuador and Honduras into the competition, and the 62-year-old was handed a new contract off the back of the 1-0 win over New Zealand in the intercontinental playoffs in June.

Costa Rica were actually the last team to qualify for the World Cup, and while they are outsiders to advance to the next round, a positive result against Spain would lead them nicely into their clash with Japan on November 27.

Team News

© Reuters

Jose Gaya has been forced to pull out of the Spain squad due to an injury, with Alejandro Balde called up as his replacement, but La Roja have no current fitness concerns in their squad.

Enrique has big decisions to make when it comes to his forward line, and Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres could ultimately get the nod alongside Alvaro Morata, who is the leading goalscorer in the squad with 27 goals.

It is set to be an all-Barcelona midfield, with Gavi and Pedri playing alongside Sergio Busquets, while Pau Torres is expected to get the nod alongside Aymeric Laporte in the middle of the defence.

Unai Simon will start between the sticks, while Dani Carvajal and Jordi Alba are preparing to line up in the full-back positions for Spain, who should be in a 4-3-3 formation.

As for Costa Rica, head coach Suarez is expected to set his side up in a 4-3-3 formation, which would become a 4-5-1 when they are not in possession of the ball.

Keylor Navas is a certainty between the sticks, while Francisco Calvo is set to be joined in the middle of the defence by Oscar Duarte, with Carlos Martinez and Bryan Oviedo in the full-back areas.

Celso Borges, who has made 155 appearances for the national side, should play off the right, with Anthony Contreras preparing to lead the line.

Former Arsenal attacker Joel Campbell has 25 goals in 119 appearances for the national side, and the 30-year-old will also feature in the final third of the field for La Sele.

Spain possible starting lineup:
Simon; Carvajal, Laporte, P Torres, Alba; Pedri, Busquets, Gavi; F Torres, Morata, Fati

Costa Rica possible starting lineup:
Navas; C Martinez, Calvo, Duarte, Oviedo; Tejeda, Bennette, G Torres; Borges, Contreras, Campbell

We say: Spain 1-0 Costa Rica

This has the potential to be a very uncomfortable match for Spain, and it would certainly not be a shock if the points were shared in this contest. La Roja have been strongly defensively of late, though, and they have enough quality in the final third to score at least once, so we are backing a narrow victory for Enrique's side.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Written by
Matt Law

Previews by email