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Following an eye-catching performance against Croatia last week, England failed to build on that momentum against a stubborn Ghanaian outfit. The Three Lions laboured to a goalless draw at the Gillette Stadium, as their opponents defended manfully throughout the duration of the 90 minutes.
While Thomas Tuchel’s men enjoyed the overwhelming bulk of possession, they lacked imagination and ingenuity in the final third. Harry Kane spurned England’s best chance, blazing over from six yards after Nico O'Reilly’s towering header rebounded off the crossbar.
Things could have been even worse, however, as Ghana were arguably denied a stonewall penalty when Prince Kwabena Adu raced clear and was subsequently brought down by retreating defender Ezri Konsa. However, Ghana’s appeals were waved away by Honduran referee Saíd Martínez and VAR opted not to intervene.
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Later on Tuesday evening, Panama lined up to face Croatia knowing that a defeat would result in their early elimination. Despite being the better side for large spells of the contest, Los Canaleros were beaten by a single goal for the second time in the space of six days.
Having been undone by a late Caleb Yirenkyi tap-in on matchday one, Panama conceded in very similar circumstances against Croatia, albeit in the opening rather than dying stages of the second half. The Central Americans afforded too much time and space to Bayern Munich full-back Josip Stanišić, who saw his beautifully whipped cross steered home from close range by substitute Ante Budimir.
The match will be televised live on ITV, with the build-up commencing an hour and 15 minutes before a 22:00 BST kick-off.
Panama v England – Key information
Date: Saturday, June 27th
Kick-off time: 22:00 BST
Venue: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
Referee: Abdulrahman Al Jassim (Assistant Referees: Taleb Al Marri and Saoud Al Maqaleh, Fourth Official: Sandro Schärer)
TV Channels/Live stream: ITV1, STV, ITVX, STV Player
Odds: Panama: 12/1, Draw: 7/1, England: 1/6
Odds provided by bet365
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Panama team news
Thomas Christiansen is free from any fresh injury concerns, although Adalberto Carrasquilla still appears to be struggling with an unknown issue. The versatile midfielder was a regular starter during Panama’s impressive qualification campaign, but only featured as an unused substitute against Ghana and Croatia.
The Central Americans are likely to adopt a 3-4-3 system, although full-backs Amir Murillo and César Blackman will be asked to form part of a back five when England are in possession. One of the three central defensive berths will be taken up by Norwich City’s José Córdoba, who made 28 appearances for Championship side Norwich City last season.
Yoel Bárcenas and Cristian Martínez switched roles on Wednesday night, with the latter operating down the right-hand flank after anchoring the midfield in his country’s opening tie. It proved to be a shrewd move, as Martínez offered a constant threat throughout his player-of-the-match display.
There’s a question mark over who spearheads the Panamanian attack, which has lacked a killer instinct so far. Either José Fajardo or Cecilio Waterman will inevitably get the nod, although neither player has been particularly prolific of late.
Panama predicted lineup vs. England (3-4-3)
Coach: Thomas Christiansen
Orlando Mosquera (GK); Jiovany Ramos, Andrés Andrade, José Córdoba; Amir Murillo, Carlos Harvey, Yoel Bárcenas, César Blackman; Cristian Martínez, Cecilio Waterman, José Luis Rodríguez
England team news
Although he’ll want to keep his prized assets fresh for the next round, Thomas Tuchel understands the crucial importance of this fixture. Earning all three points should theoretically give his team an easier pathway to the last sixteen, so the German tactician is unlikely to make too many personnel changes.
However, there may be some enforced changes on either flank. Anthony Gordon flattered to deceive in both of England’s opening fixtures before Marcus Rashford made an impact from the bench, while Noni Madueke is ultimately providing cover until his Arsenal teammate Bukayo Saka has been declared fully fit. Given the context surrounding this weekend’s clash, it could be the perfect opportunity to hand Rashford and Saka their first starts of the tournament.
There are still concerns regarding the condition of Declan Rice, who exited the Gillette Stadium with a limp and heavy strapping around his calf on Wednesday night. The 27-year-old star recently confirmed he’s been dealing with neural pain since Christmas, causing him to experience significant discomfort in his lower back and upper hamstring. If Rice is rested, expect either Kobbie Mainoo or Jordan Henderson to take his place.
Djed Spence will once again adorn a protective face mask, a month after Liam Delap’s elbow fractured his jaw. The Spurs full-back could switch flanks to give Reece James a breather, paving the way for Nico O'Reilly’s return to the starting XI. Newcastle’s Dan Burn could feature alongside Marc Guéhi, as Tuchel continues to rotate his central defensive pairing.
England predicted lineup v Panama (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Thomas Tuchel
Jordan Pickford (GK); Djed Spence, Marc Guéhi, Dan Burn, Nico O'Reilly; Elliot Anderson, Jordan Henderson; Bukayo Saka, Morgan Rogers, Marcus Rashford; Harry Kane
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
After providing coverage of England’s World Cup opener, ITV has also secured broadcasting rights for their final group stage encounter. Sam Matterface and Lee Dixon will once again describe the action from the commentary box, while Mark Pougatch chats to an expert panel in New York.
Online viewers can watch events at the MetLife Stadium unfold on ITVX or STV Player, with extended match highlights uploaded to both of these platforms following the referee’s full-time whistle.
The clash between Croatia and Ghana will be shown on ITV4, so the network has all bases manned in what could be a dramatic conclusion to Group L. The same streaming service applies.
Head-to-head record
These two teams have only met on one previous occasion, but that also came during a World Cup campaign.
Back in 2018, England delivered an emphatic 6-1 victory over Panama, who were competing at FIFA’s flagship tournament for the first time in their history, to confirm their place in the last sixteen. The Three Lions had found themselves five goals to the good at half-time, as two John Stones headers, a couple of clinically converted penalties from Harry Kane, and Jesse Lingard’s superb curling effort put Gareth Southgate’s men into an unassailable lead in Nizhny Novgorod. Kane completed his hat-trick just after the hour mark, before Felipe Baloy grabbed a late consolation for the Panamanians.
England have only been beaten once in seven meetings with CONCACAF nations at the World Cup, famously losing 1-0 to the USA in 1950. Following that sobering defeat in Belo Horizonte, England have recorded three wins and three draws against Central American opposition.
Panama v England – Match result odds
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change. All odds provided by bet365.
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