Fantasy managers backing Serbia over 2014’s surprise package

Costa Rica and Serbia contest the opening fixture of Group E at 1pm in Samara, the first of three World Cup matches to be staged on Sunday.

Interest from Fantasy managers is likely to be limited, with no player from either side owned by more than 10% of those playing McDonald’s FIFA.

Indeed, goalkeeper Keylor Navas (£5.0m) is the only Costa Rican player with any serious investment: the Real Madrid shot-stopper is owned by 7% of managers, with £4.5m-rated midfielders David Guzman and Yeltsin Tejeda selected by 2% and 1% respectively – presumably as budget-freeing bench fodder.

Their opponents’ assets are slightly more well-backed, with defensive midfielder Nemanja Matic (£5.5) curiously the most-owned Serbian player in McDonald’s FIFA: 8% of managers have brought Manchester United’s midfield general into their Fantasy squads.

Aleksandar Mitrovic (£7.5m), who has five goals in his country’s last three international friendlies, has been selected by just 2% of managers, while former Manchester City left-back Aleksandar Kolarov (£5.5m)’s ownership currently stands at 3%.

Costa Rica have won only twice in their last ten international matches, scoring on more than one occasion in just one of those fixtures: a 3-0 win over Northern Ireland in early June.

Oscar Ramirez’s side are defensive in nature and conceded just eight goals – one of which was Panama’s infamous “ghost goal” – in their ten “Hexagonal” fixtures. Indeed, Costa Rica shipped just two goals in five matches in their previous World Cup campaign in 2014, with Navas and the defence in front of him registering three clean-sheets.

Many of the squad from Brazil were called up again this summer, though the Costa Rican backline has looked suspect in 5-0 and 4-1 friendly defeats to Spain and Belgium since November.

Serbia scored in every one of their ten qualification fixtures – at a rate of exactly two goals per match – and hit five against Bolivia in their final World Cup warm-up game. The Serbs have failed to score in only one of their last 12 international matches.