Nicaragua vs Costa Rica - prediction, team news, lineups

The bottommost 2 teams successful Group A volition question their archetypal points successful the CONCACAF Nations League this play arsenic Nicaragua big Costa Rica astatine the Nicaragua National Football Stadium successful Managua connected Thursday.

Over the weekend, the Nicaraguans were hammered 6-1 by Curacao, portion Los Ticos suffered a 2-0 decision successful Haiti.

Match preview

From this Nations League to the past one, we person seen 2 precise antithetic Nicaragua teams amusement up.

In their archetypal League A quality successful 2024-25, the Central Americans missed retired connected the quarter-finals connected extremity difference, portion they person been a shadiness of that broadside aboriginal connected this clip around.

Juan Cruz Real volition question his archetypal triumph arsenic their manager connected Thursday, with the former Argentinian midfielder collecting conscionable 1 affirmative effect truthful acold (0-0 gully versus South Africa).

His squad person conceded a whopping 13 times successful their past 3 internationals, portion allowing aggregate strikes successful 4 consecutive outings successful this competition.

Nicaragua person won 2 of their 3 League A encounters connected location soil, with each 3 of their goals coming successful the 2nd half.

On Thursday, La Azul y Blanco tin assertion their archetypal Nations League triumph against a Central American side, though they won their past gathering versus that region, 2-0 astatine location to Honduras past year.

The biggest astonishment successful League A truthful acold whitethorn beryllium however poorly Costa Rica person begun the contention this clip around.

Like Nicaragua, a decision connected matchday 3 would destruct them from the knockout signifier of this competition, a archetypal for the Costa Rican team.

It is up to Bryan Ruiz to get them backmost connected way aft Fernando Batista’s caller dismissal, with the third-highest headdress holder for the nationalist squad overseeing their adjacent 2 games earlier a imperishable managerial successor is named.

Ruiz tin triumph his archetypal lucifer successful complaint this week, which would extremity an eight-match winless tally for the nationalist squad connected the planetary signifier and a five-game losing streak.

Since the past Nations League campaign, the Costa Ricans person gone unbeaten successful their past 5 meetings against Central American opposition, conceding a extremity oregon less successful those past 4 instances.

Los Ticos are unbeaten successful their past 16 games against Nicaragua, a streak that dates backmost to 1951, though they person ne'er beaten them successful their location country, drafting 1-1 astatine Estadio Nacional de Futbol past year.

Nicaragua CONCACAF Nations League Form:

Nicaragua Form (all competitions):

Costa Rica CONCACAF Nations League Form:

Costa Rica Form (all competitions):

Team News

From matchday 1 to two, we saw 4 caller faces successful the Nicaraguan starting 11, with Oscar Acevedo, Melvin Hernandez, Jacob Montes and Byron Bonilla each earning a spot successful the opening squad.

Jaime Moreno had their lone onslaught against Curacao, arsenic helium remains 2nd successful all-time goals for the nationalist squad with 16.

On the Costa Rican side, Doryan Rodriguez collected conscionable his 2nd headdress connected matchday two, replacing Orlando Sinclair successful the 2nd half.

Abraham Madriz has started some Nations League affairs betwixt the sticks, successful spot of Patrick Sequeira, with the erstwhile up to 3 caps for the elder squad.

Nicaragua imaginable starting lineup:

Vega; Gomez, Cano, Acevedo, Fletes, Hernandez; Zamora, Cole, Montes; Moreno, Bonilla

Costa Rica imaginable starting lineup:

Madriz; Barahona, Mitchell, Calvo, Araya; Galo, Soto, Mendez; Mora, Rodriguez, Alcocer

We say: Nicaragua 1-4 Costa Rica

While the Costa Ricans person been highly mediocre this year, they tin inactive find a mode to get done a Nicaraguan defence that is incredibly unstable and apt successful daze aft the beating Curacao laid connected them past clip out.