Alajuelense host San Carlos in the Costa Rica Primera Division on August 24, 2026, with the match scheduled for 00:00 local time at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Alajuela. The home side enter this fixture with the stronger league record, sitting second after three wins and one draw, while San Carlos are eighth with one victory and two defeats. Alajuelense are also backed by a formidable home sequence, although their 1-0 loss to Firpo on August 21 adds an element of uncertainty. That midweek setback prevented them from securing their place in the Copa Centroamericana quarter-finals, and they must now manage their domestic commitments before facing Plaza Amador in the match that will determine whether they can continue defending their continental title.

Alajuelense Recent Form and Key Statistics

Alajuelense have made an unbeaten start to their Primera Division campaign, collecting three victories and one draw from four matches. Their league averages underline the quality of that opening run: they have scored 2.0 goals per game while conceding only 0.8. Across their latest five matches in all competitions, their record stands at four wins and one defeat, with the same averages of 2.0 goals scored and 0.8 allowed.

The only defeat in that five-game sequence came against Firpo, who beat Alajuelense 1-0 on August 21. The result arrived shortly before this league fixture and left the team under pressure in the Copa Centroamericana. Rotations may therefore become an important consideration ahead of the coming meeting with Plaza Amador. Even so, the domestic statistics continue to present Alajuelense as the stronger team in this matchup.

The hosts have scored at least once in each of their last 13 Primera Division matches. Their home scoring sequence is even longer, with Alajuelense finding the net in each of their previous 14 home league fixtures. In addition, every one of their last 18 Primera Division games has produced more than 1.5 total goals, showing that their league matches have consistently cleared the lowest major goals line.

Home form is another major point in Alajuelense’s favor. They have avoided defeat in 19 of their last 20 home matches, a record that also applies specifically to their Primera Division fixtures. They have been level or ahead at half-time in 19 of those 20 home games as well. These sequences indicate sustained control at their own ground, both over complete matches and during the opening 45 minutes.

• Primera Division record: three wins, one draw and no defeats.
• Recent overall record: four wins in five matches.
• At least one Alajuelense goal in their last 14 home league games.
• Unbeaten in 19 of their previous 20 home fixtures.
• More than 8.5 corners in 18 of their last 20 home league matches.

San Carlos Recent Form and Key Statistics

San Carlos arrive in eighth place after one win and two losses in the Primera Division. They are averaging 0.7 goals scored and 1.3 conceded per league match, figures that point to a clear difference when compared with Alajuelense’s current domestic output. Their broader recent numbers show one win, one draw and two defeats, alongside averages of 0.8 goals for and 1.3 against.

There was, however, an encouraging result in their latest listed fixture. San Carlos defeated Herediano 1-0 on August 15, ending a sequence of three consecutive losses described before this match. That clean-sheet victory may provide a welcome lift, but the challenge is substantially different away to a side that has lost only one of its last 20 home games.

The visitors’ away defensive record is particularly relevant. San Carlos have conceded at least one goal in 19 of their last 20 away matches, with the same sequence recorded for Primera Division away fixtures. That trend meets an Alajuelense side that has scored in 14 consecutive home league games, creating one of the clearest statistical contrasts in this preview.

San Carlos matches have also produced a notable second-half pattern. In 37 of their last 39 Primera Division games, at least one of the teams failed to score after the interval. This does not guarantee a low total for the full contest, but it does suggest that second-half scoring has frequently been one-sided or absent for one participant.

• Primera Division record: one win and two defeats.
• League averages: 0.7 goals scored and 1.3 conceded.
• Latest listed result: a 1-0 win over Herediano.
• At least one goal conceded in 19 of their last 20 away league matches.
• At least one team failed to score in the second half in 37 of their last 39 league games.

Alajuelense vs San Carlos Match Analysis

The statistical picture favors Alajuelense. The supplied win probabilities give the hosts a 67% chance of victory, compared with 21% for the draw and 13% for a San Carlos win. Decimal odds of 1.40 for Alajuelense, 4.10 for the draw and 6.00 for San Carlos similarly place the home team in the favorite’s role.

The head-to-head summary strengthens that assessment. Alajuelense have recorded four wins and one draw in the five listed meetings with San Carlos, averaging 1.4 goals scored and 0.0 conceded. The most recent head-to-head score supplied is 0-2 from March 8, 2026. Across the summarized series, San Carlos have therefore been unable to register a goal.

There are some competing signals in the goals markets. More than 2.5 goals is rated at 55%, while under 2.5 stands at 45%. Both teams to score is less strongly supported, with “Yes” at 48% and “No” at 52%. Alajuelense’s scoring consistency and San Carlos’s recurring away concessions support home goals, but the visitors’ average of 0.7 goals per league match and the head-to-head record raise doubts about their contribution.

Alajuelense’s continental disappointment and the possibility of rotation could make the contest less straightforward than the league records alone suggest. Nevertheless, their unbeaten domestic start, strong home sequence, superior scoring average and favorable head-to-head results all point in the same direction. San Carlos can take confidence from beating Herediano, but overturning the broader statistical balance would require them to improve significantly on an away run featuring goals conceded in 19 of 20 matches.

Alajuelense vs San Carlos prediction from BetMines: Alajuelense win (1) with 67% probability.