Spain has enjoyed great success for a period. The trophy was lifted in the EC twice again, in 2008 and 2021. In between, the first WC was won in 2010, during a time when the Spanish dominated international football. That was then and now is now. The same quality is of course not found in the players today. There's no getting away from the fact that it's been a tough couple of years for La Roja. During the championship in 2014, they were already eliminated in the group stage. Four years ago, they were knocked out on penalties by host nation Russia in the round of 16. The national team captain Luis Enrique has no clear leaders on the field but must constantly rotate in the squad. Ahead of the championship, they have warmed up with a 3-1 win over Jordan, which was their first international since beating Portugal 1-0 in the Nations League. In addition to Costa Rica, there are also Germany and Japan in the group, which is a tough one. Because Costa Rica is a tight-knit group. They participated in 1990 for the first time and then reached a round of 16. In the years 2002 and 2006, they qualified but did not make it further than the group stage. The same road to death in Russia last time, but did well overall.Los Ticos have a 2-0 win over Nigeria in their last friendly, which was played on November 11, 2022. With the win, they have lost just one of their last 13 matches, in all competitions. So Costa Rica is a tough nut to crack.Confederation captain Luis Fernando Suarez is a seasoned master in these contexts, having led Ecuador and Honduras in the tournament.This could very well be a very uncomfortable match for Spain, who will still be seen as favorites to win. Bookmakers have set the handicap line at +2 goals for Costa Rica, where the bet is repaid in the event of a two-goal victory, such as 2-0. The game, therefore, stands even if Costa Rica loses by a goal margin. Therefore, the bet falls on Costa Rica managing not to lose by more than 2 goals against Spain.