With four points from two games, England will hope to seal top spot in their World Cup group on Saturday against Panama – a side that has already proved more dangerous than their Fifa ranking of 42nd suggests.
Panama, managed by former Leeds United boss Thomas Christiansen, have been a dynamic and unpredictable opponent. Against both Ghana and Croatia, there were long spells where they looked the better team. But with their best player, Adalberto Carrasquilla, injured, they have struggled to turn promising play into goals.
“England face Panama needing win to seal top spot, but Panama's tactical flexibility could pose problems.”
Christiansen’s side adapts constantly. From opposition goal-kicks, they press high in a 4-4-2 shape. If the opponent retains possession higher up the pitch, Panama drops into a mid-block and shifts to 5-3-2. As Croatia grew into the game, they became even deeper, adopting a 5-4-1 with a low defensive line.
That flexibility could cause England problems. Thomas Tuchel’s side thrives when opponents push up, but against Ghana they struggled because Carlos Queiroz’s men sat deep and compact, denying space. The Ghana blueprint worked, and Panama are an ‘in-between’ version of Ghana and Croatia defensively. If they adopt a style closer to the Africans’, England may find it harder to create chances.
It was in the 93rd minute that Panama conceded against Ghana while chasing a winner. They lost the ball in the final third, pressed high, but Ghana played quickly into their forwards and exploited the space. That vulnerability – getting caught while pressing – is a risk England can exploit if they remain patient.
The Central Americans are a better side than the one that lost 6-1 to England in the 2018 World Cup, as an image caption from the BBC notes. Their results do not paint a true picture of their performances. England, needing to shake off a sluggish display against Ghana, must beware a Panama side that has repeatedly shown it can compete – even if the scoreboard has not yet reflected it.