Predictions & Livescore Copa America - Colombia vs Costa Rica

Copa America - Colombia vs Costa Rica
Match Time: 29-06-2024 06:00 Saturday (GMT+8)
Football Livescore | Match Prediction & Tips
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Colombia

It was a frustrating opening 20 minutes for Colombia on matchday one, but in the end, they were able to make most of their possession count.

Nestor Lorenzo's men had 68% of the ball in their opener, scoring on two of their three targeted efforts, putting them in position to make the last eight of this tournament for a sixth successive occasion.

Colombia have won nine consecutive matches in all competitions, with seven of those triumphs being by just a single goal.

On Friday, they can win successive group matches in this competition for the first time since 2019, when they last topped their group.

While the Colombians have been sharp defensively over their current unbeaten run, which has lasted over two years, they have also been potent in the attacking third, scoring a combined 13 goals in their last four games.

Los Cafeteros have not lost to a CONCACAF opponent since the 2016 Copa America, when Costa Rica hung on for a 3-2 triumph against them in Houston.

Costa Rica

Despite rarely getting a sniff at the Brazilian goal and defending throughout the majority of that match, Costa Rica pulled off a remarkable achievement in their opening game.

On matchday one, Gustavo Alfaro's men became just the third CONCACAF nation to keep Brazil off the scoresheet in this competition, joining Honduras (2001) and Mexico (2001 and 2007).

Fortunately for Los Ticos, statistics do not determine the outcome of a match, as the Brazilians dominated them in almost every category, with the Costa Ricans only having 26% possession and a 0.03 expected goals ratio.

Their current four-match unbeaten run is the longest stretch without a defeat for the Costa Ricans since the lead-up to the 2022 World Cup, when they did not lose in five consecutive games before the start of that tournament.

They have not conceded in any of their previous three games but have never posted consecutive clean sheets at the Copa America.

Los Ticos have lost nine of their 11 all-time meetings with Colombia, with their previous triumph against them at the 2016 Copa America occurring over 70 years after their first one in 1938.

Prediction: Colombia 2-0 Costa Rica