- Croatia have won two and lost three of their last five matches in all competitions.
- Panama have won two, drawn one and lost two of their last five in all competitions.
- Croatia have won one and lost two of their last three away games.
Croatia to edge out Panama at Toronto Stadium
Panama are third in Group L after their opening FIFA World Cup group game, a 1-0 away defeat to Ghana. Thomas Christiansen's side have been tough to break down since he took charge in July 2020, setting up with a compact, pragmatic shape that is easy to defend and difficult to break.
José Fajardo will be their biggest threat on the counter-attack, although Panama will be looking for goals in transition as much as anything as they face the group favourites on Tuesday. Adalberto Carrasquilla will anchor their midfield with energy and vision, ensuring they can make swift transitions.
Croatia have had their problems lately and are 4th in Group L after conceding four goals in their only away game to date, a 4-2 defeat to England. Zlatko Dalic has been at the helm since 2017 and continues to make his side a midfield-dominant side that plays a patient, rotational brand of football, which should suit them if they can unlock Panama's low block.
Ivan Perisic is their creative driving force, providing an assist in Croatia's opening group game, and they have more talent at their disposal than Panama by some distance. With Croatia at 1/2, Panama at 11/2 and the draw at 27/10, it is obvious who the favourites are in this one.
Go for goals with Panama in the mix
We're taking Croatia to get the win here, but Panama have shown enough grit to keep it competitive. They held Bosnia and Herzegovina to a 1-1 draw at home recently and then battled bravely in their loss to Ghana, so we're getting on the Over 2.5 goals market at 49/50.
Panama's counter-attacking nature combined with Croatia's recent defensive frailties makes this a good time to get involved in the over market when these sides meet. Martin Baturina is the top scorer for Croatia in Group L after scoring once in their opening game and will be among the most likely to find the net again.
