They offered little in recent friendly defeats to England and Belgium, while their opener here against Serbia was a cagey affair settled from distance.
They look weaker than both Serbia and Switzerland and face a tough task in containing Brazil. They just don’t look up to it, and the key here is working out how to get the outright 2/9 quotes a touch more backable. Brazil/Brazil HT/FT at 4/6 looks reasonable enough.
Brazil to score three or more at 3/1 could look a big price given the defensive frailty Costa Rica showed against both England and Belgium. You can also get 3/1 for Brazil to score a penalty, which looks big given the sheer number of spot-kicks we’ve seen awarded thus far in what is becoming the VAR World Cup.
Clearly, Brazil have a host of skilful players and will spend a reasonable amount of time inside the Costa Rican penalty box. It’s also a bet that is guaranteed to give you a 90-minute run for your money at the very least.
The 5/1 on offer for Philippe Coutinho to score twice is also worth a second look after his stunning goal in Brazil’s first game on the back of a fine end to the season, scoring nine goals in his last nine games for club and country.
· Brazil/Brazil HT/FT at 4/6
· Brazil to score three or more at 3/1
