Our football match prediction:
Brazil
Match Time & Date:
22/06/2018
13:00 GMT
Prediction: 3-0
Costa Rica
After dropping two points in a 1-1 draw with Switzerland, Brazil will be looking to record their first win at the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals when they take on Costa Rica in St. Petersburg. Neymar can definitely do better and the PSG striker need to be at his sharpest in Friday’s football match if he is to help the South American giants record a very important win. Los Ticos, on the other hand, fail to impress in a 1-0 loss to Serbia and we predict that they are going face an uphill task in their second group game against Tite’s troops. This has to go down as a must-win game for the Brazilians and we believe that they are going to roll over Costa Rica at St. Petersburg Stadium. When the two teams met at the 2002 World Cup Brazil outclassed Costa Rica 5-2.
Highlighted Player (Willian):
Willian is a Brazilian football player who was born on 9 August, 1988 in Ribeirao Pires. After playing for Corinthians in the 2006/2007 season, in 2007 he joined Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk. The pacey winger won four Ukrainian Premier League trophies with the Miners, while clinching the UEFA Cup title in 2009 as well. During his spell with Shakhtar, Willian was on Chelsea’s radar and in 2013 the chiefs of the Premier League club agreed a deal to sign the Brazilian ace for a fee of £30 million. Willian won the Premier League trophy with Chelsea in the 2014/2015 season and the following season he was named Chelsea Player of the year. The 30-year-old winger has 38 caps for Brazil and he has netted six goals for the national team. Speaking of his personal life, Willian is married to Vanessa Martins, who gave birth to their twin daughters Valentina and Manuella.
Highlighted Team (Costa Rica):
Los Ticos are administered by the Costa Rican Football Federation and are members of the CONCACAF confederation competing at the international stage since 1921, although it was not until 1927 that they had become the FIFA members. Costa Rica is the most successful national football team in the history of Central America with eight championships and their decorated reputation was upheld in 2014 when the current Central American champions made an imposing impression during the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Having reached the quarter-finals, Costa Ricans continue to be a thorn in the side for a many bigger soccer nations. Alvaro Saborio is the most-capped member of the current team captained by Bryan Ruiz, but the most prominent star of the squad is definitely Real Madrid goalkeeper and 2016 Champions League winner Keylor Navas. Arsenal forward Joel Campbell is also a notable player whose 2014 FIFA World Cup performances have been nothing short of impressive.
