Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the CONCACAF Gold Cup match.
Heading into the final round of group stage fixtures, both teams find themselves in a precarious position — though for Guadeloupe, the odds of progression are all but impossible. Guatemala, on the other hand, could sneak through even with a draw, depending on other results.
Guadeloupe
Technically, Guadeloupe still have a chance of reaching the quarter-finals as runners-up. But for that to happen, they must beat Guatemala and hope Jamaica lose to Panama. Even then, it gets tricky: the goal difference between the Jamaicans and the Guadeloupeans is currently minus four for Guadeloupe. If Jamaica were to lose by two, Guadeloupe would need to beat a solid Guatemala side by the same margin — no easy feat considering the Guatemalans have conceded just once in the tournament so far.
Guatemala
That solitary goal did cost Guatemala, as they fell 0:1 to Panama. All three of their efforts — only one on target — came in the middle of the first half, after they'd already gone behind. From that point on, they never managed to regain control. Despite Panama being content to sit back and counter, Guatemala allowed 21 shots, eight of them on target. Fortunately for them, goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen was in fine form.
Guadeloupe vs Guatemala Prediction
If Guatemala were able to hold off a much stronger Panamanian side, Guadeloupe will struggle to score more than once. There are also concerns over Guatemala’s own attacking output — they’ve found the net only once themselves, albeit against a side of similar quality. Expect Guatemala to avoid defeat here in a low-scoring affair. Whether that will be enough to reach the last eight remains to be seen.
