England will look to advance to the knockout stage as group winners with a victory against Panama on Saturday evening.
Thomas Tuchel’s side haven’t been at their free flowing best so far, but they face a team who have already been eliminated from the tournament.
Match Preview
England were flying high after a thrilling 4-2 victory against Croatia in their opening group match.
But they were brought back down to earth by Ghana, who held them to a frustrating goalless draw on Tuesday at the Boston Stadium.
Despite boasting a glittering array of attacking players, the Three Lions failed to break down Ghana’s defence.
England dominated possession but failed to create many scoring chances. Harry Kane landed a golden opportunity late on, but couldn’t hit the target.
Tuchel’s men will look to bounce back on Saturday, and they couldn’t have asked for a better opponent.
Panama are already out of the prestigious international tournament after losing their opening two matches to Ghana and Croatia.
Team News
Reece James and Declan Rice picked up injuries during the draw against Ghana.
Rice has returned to training, but James missed the session, with the Chelsea star’s availability for the final group game now a major doubt.
As for Panama, Adalberto Carrasquilla is expected to remain sidelined as the 27-year-old suffered a setback in his recovery from an adductor injury.
Panama vs England predicted line-up
Panama: Mosquera; Murillo, Cordoba, Ramos, Andrade, Blackman; Martinez, Barcenas, Harvey, Rodriguez; Fajardo
England: Pickford; Spence, Guehi, Konsa, O’Reilly; Mainoo, Anderson; Madueke, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane
Panama vs England prediction
For Panama, Saturday’s encounter with England will only be about playing for pride, as their qualification hopes are already over.
The Three Lions struggled to break down Ghana’s low block last time, but they are expected to come well prepared against the North American side. A convincing win is surely on the cards for England.
Panama 1-3 England