Switzerland needed a draw against Costa Rica to secure the place in the Round of 16, and the Nati managed to stay unbeaten against the Ticos, earning a 2-2 stalemate in the ultimate game of the Group E. Switzerland was a -152 favorite to beat Costa Rica, a draw was at +260, while the match was ended in the over of the total of 2.5 goals at +115 with both teams to score at +110.
Game Recap
Costa Rica played this game just for prestige, but the Ticos started aggressively, trying to take the lead straight from the kick-off. In the first 15 minutes, the Ticos missed some massive opportunities to break the deadlock, hitting both the post and the bar, so it was no strange that Switzerland took the lead in the 31st minute when Blerim Dzemaili scored his first goal at the 2018 World Cup.
The Nati won the first half at +125, but just eleven minutes into the second half Costa Rica level the game. Kendall Waston bagged the first goal for the Ticos on this tournament to please the bettors who wagered on both teams to score at +110. Switzerland had some decent opportunities before taking the lead once more in the 88th minute of the match, as Josip Drmic netted from Denis Zakaria cross. However, Costa Rica got the penalty in the stoppage time, and the Ticos were pretty lucky to equalize, as Bryan Ruiz hit the bar, but the ball deflected off keeper’s head to finish behind his back.
We saw plenty of scoring chances in this one, so the bettors who wagered on the over of the total of 2.5 goals at +115 easily doubled their money, while those who wagered on the over 3.5 goals at +300 are certainly ecstatic with a couple of late goals here. Switzerland took 12 shots on goal, as just three went on target, having the ball in possession for 60% of the time. On the other side, Costa Rica took 14 shots towards Yann Sommer, while six of those went on target.
Costa Rica is eliminated from the tournament, while Switzerland faces Sweden in the Round of 16. According to BetDSI Sportsbook, the Nati will be a slight +160 favorite to beat the Blue-Yellow, whilst the odds are set at +3300 on the Swiss to win the title at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
