It is a battle for supremacy in Group A of the CONCACAF Gold Cup as Mexico face Costa Rica. Both teams have maintained a 100% record in the competition and come into this clash looking to finish as top dogs.
Mexico’s CONCACAF Gold Cup title defence has started on a positive note as they have won their opening two fixtures. They began with a 3-2 victory over Dominican Republic before beating Suriname 2-0 last time out.
Beyond the Gold Cup, Mexico’s overall form has been solid, winning seven of their last nine matches across all competitions. Javier Aguirre's men have consistently shown their attacking quality, scoring two or more goals in those seven fixtures.
Costa Rica have made a similar start to the competition, winning their opening two fixtures. A 4-3 victory over Suriname set them on their way while they also picked up a 2-1 win over Dominican Republic in their previous fixture.
Like Mexico, Costa Rica's good form is not limited to the Gold Cup as they have won six of their last seven matches in all competitions. Miguel Aguirre’s men have also looked sharp going forward, scoring 18 goals in their last four matches.
How the bookies view it: Bookies backing Mexico
Mexico have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 8/15 by BoyleSports to claim the win. A victory for Costa Rica is set at odds of 4/1 while a draw is valued at 14/5.
Head to head: Mexico have the edge
Mexico have only lost once in this fixture, with 14 wins and seven draws from 22 previous matches against Costa Rica. The most recent meeting was a Gold Cup clash in 2023, which ended 2-0 in favour of the Mexicans.
Players to watch: Eyes on Montes
Defender Cesar Montes carries a threat from set pieces, scoring three goals in the competition and could be the one to watch here. Striker Raul Jimenez was on target in the win over Dominican Republic and both men can combine to produce over 1.5 goals – priced at 6/10 with BoyleSports.
Manfred Ugalde has three goals in the competition while Josimar Alcocer has found the net twice and both men should carry the attacking threat for Costa Rica once again. They could combine to produce over 1.5 goals – valued at 11/10.
Probable line-ups
Santiago Gimenez was a second half substitute against Suriname and could earn a start here. He could partner Jimenez in attack while Montes is expected to continue in defence.
Ugalde is having a fine tournament so far and should lead the line once again for Costa Rica. Alcocer is expected to continue in midfield while Juan Vargas is set to start at the heart of the defence.
Mexico: Malagon, Vazquez, Reyes, Montes, Gallardo, Alvarado, Alvarez, Ruiz, Vega, Jimenez, Gimenez
Costa Rica: Navas, Mora, Mitchell, Vargas, Calvo, Mora, Alcocer, Galo, Aguilera Zamora, Martinez, Ugalde
Anything else catch the eye?
Mexico and Costa Rica have plenty of attacking quality and both teams could score here (BTTS YES – valued at 3/4) with BoyleSports. The Costa Ricans have seen over 2.5 goals in their two Gold Cup matches and a repeat is priced at 7/10.
The Mexicans have produced more goals after the break in their last two matches and this clash could offer a similar outcome (second half highest scoring half – 20/21).
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