Panama vs Croatia Match Preview | OneFootball

Panama face off against Croatia in matchday two of the World Cup, and both nations will be desperate to seal their first points of the competition.

It took Ghana 95 minutes to break through a gritted Panamanian defense last week, shattering dreams of a first point for the Central American country at this tournament.

For Croatia, they also suffered defeat, but this one could prove to be the end of their current golden generation.

Panama could cause problems for their European opponents

Thomas Christiansen’s men performed out of their skin against Ghana, and a historic first World Cup point isn’t too far away.

Panama actually created more big chances (2 vs 1) and registered more shots (11 vs 7) than Ghana during their opening match in Group L, showing just how impressive they were.

The onus for Christiansen now will be to translate those chances and shots into goals, although that is easier said than done when Croatia and England await.

Zlatko Dalic’s men battled well in the first half against the English, but struggled after the break and this is something that Panama could potentially take full advantage of.

Luka Modrić is an icon of the game, yet he came off after 58 minutes. You’d assume the Texas heat had an effect, but Dallas stadium is covered and air conditioned. This game will be played in Toronto, kicking off slightly later, which could prove crucial.

Croatia must get their World Cup back on track

For 45 minutes, Croatia matched England, and with the scores level at 2-2 heading into the break, the match genuinely could have gone either way.

England kicked on, however, scoring twice through Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford to condemn Croatia to their first opening World Cup defeat since the 2014 edition.

Dalic has arguably gotten the hardest match out of the way first, especially with Panama and Ghana to come, but he must be wary of the threat the Central American side poses.

Panama did everything but score against the Black Stars in match one, and confidence is high heading into this game against the Croatians.

A win will set Croatia up nicely for their final match against Ghana, yet more dropped points could be a concern heading into the final group match.

Team news

Christiansen has no fresh injury concerns ahead of this match, although he will be wary of the fact that central midfielder Carlos Harvey could be suspended for the final group game should he receive a booking against Croatia.

Dalic will likely keep Modric in the starting XI, although there could be a slight change in system for this match.

Prediction

I reckon this match will be a lot tighter than many anticipate. Croatia aren’t quite the team from 2018 and 2022, especially with Modrić nearing retirement.

Combine this with how well Panama played during their opening match, and there is no doubt Christiansen can lead his side to arguably one of the finest results in their history.

With Cape Verde denying both Spain and Uruguay and Curaçao drawing with Ecuador, anything feels possible at this World Cup.

Could Panama create their own upset? Only time will tell.