Croatia to Beat Panama in Group L Clash
Croatia can boost their qualification hopes with victory over Panama after an impressive attacking display against England
Match: Panama vs Croatia
League / Competition: World Cup
Our Pick: Croatia
Odds: 1.55
Market: Match Winner
Analyst Confidence: 4/5
Panama:
Panama opened their World Cup campaign with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Ghana and now face a difficult task against one of the strongest teams in Group L. While they remain organised defensively and work hard as a unit, they struggled to create clear scoring opportunities in their opening match.
Croatia:
Croatia may have lost 4-2 to England in their first game, but the scoreline does not tell the full story. They showed plenty of attacking quality throughout the match and were competitive for long periods against one of the tournament favourites. With experienced players throughout the squad, Croatia know that anything less than victory here would leave their qualification hopes hanging by a thread.
Verdict:
Croatia possess significantly more quality across the pitch and should control possession for large periods of the game. Panama are likely to sit deep and attempt to frustrate, but Croatia's creativity and experience should eventually break them down.
With qualification pressure already building, Croatia look well placed to claim all three points and get their World Cup campaign back on track