This is the second-ever meeting between Germany and Costa Rica, with the Germans winning 4-2 in the opening match of the 2006 Fifa World Cup previously.
Germany have won six of their eight Fifa World Cup matches against Concacaf nations (D1 L1), though their only defeat in this run was in their last such match against Mexico in 2018.
Costa Rica have won just one of their last 11 Fifa World Cup games against European nations (D5 L5), recording a 1-0 win over Italy in the 2014 edition. Indeed, six of Costa Rica’s World Cup 2022 squad featured in the win against Italy (Celso Borges, Bryan Ruiz, Joel Campbell, Keylor Navas, Yeltsin Tejeda, Óscar Duarte).
Following their 1-0 win against Japan on matchday two, Costa Rica could win consecutive World Cup matches for only the second time (in 2014 v Uruguay and Italy), while they’ve only recorded consecutive clean sheets in the competition on one previous occasion (in 2014 v Italy and England).
Germany had 35.9 per cent possession against Spain on matchday two, their lowest-ever share in a World Cup game since 1966, breaking their previous record (39 per cent), set in 1986 against Morocco. Indeed, Germany have failed to win their first two group stage matches at a single World Cup for the second time in their history.
Hans-Dieter Flick (D1 L1) is the second manager to fail to win his first two World Cup games in charge of Germany, after Josef Herberger. No Germany manager has failed to win his first three World Cup games.
Catch the 2022 FIFA World Cup on SuperSport in 13 languages. Press "Options" on your remote for languages available in your region.
Costa Rica have scored fewer goals (1), attempted fewer shots (4), registered fewer shots on target (1) and have the lowest expected goals total (0.11) of all teams in group E at the 2022 World Cup.
Thomas Müller has failed to score in each of his last six World Cup appearances, having scored 10 goals in his first 12 games in the competition and has yet to attempt a single shot at the 2022 edition.
At 19 years and 274 days versus Spain, Jamal Musiala became the youngest player to register an assist for Germany in a World Cup game (since 1966), surpassing Thomas Müller’s previous record against Australia in 2010 (20y 273d). No German has created more goalscoring chances at World Cup 2022 than Musiala (5 – level with David Raum).
Last time out, Keysher Fuller scored from Costa Rica’s very first shot on target at this World Cup, after more than 184 minutes of football played (including added time). Fuller could become the fourth Costa Rica player to score more than once at a single World Cup edition after Bryan Ruiz in 2014, Paulo Wanchope in 2006 and Ronald Gómez in 2002.