Panama Faces England in Must-See World Cup Clash: Bold Predictions, Key Lineups, and What to Expect

After being held to a draw in Boston, England gets another opportunity to claim top spot in Group L when it takes on Panama at MetLife Stadium on Saturday.

Following the euphoria of its Matchday 1 victory over Croatia, most anticipated an easy ride at Gillette Stadium when Thomas Tuchel's fired-up Three Lions squared off against Ghana. However, the Black Stars, brilliantly organized by the shrewd Carlos Queiroz, completely neutralized England and fully deserved their share of the spoils.

Nevertheless, a win for Tuchel's side on Saturday will send the former champion through to the round of 32 as Group L leaders (provided Ghana doesn't produce a dramatic goal difference turnaround).

This will be the second meeting between these sides at this tournament, having previously clashed on the Central Americans' World Cup debut in 2018. England dismantled the newcomers that day, with Harry Kane netting a hat-trick in a commanding 6–1 victory. However, Los Canaleros have developed considerably since then.

Under former Barcelona forward Thomas Christiansen, Panama climbed to 29th in FIFA's world rankings last year and currently occupy 34th place. Back-to-back defeats this summer means the nation is already out of contention, but Christiansen's squad deserved far better from their performances.

Panama vs. England Score Prediction

Three Lions Bounce Back From Stalemate

Tuesday's draw did highlight the shortcomings of this England squad when confronted with a deep defensive setup, but there's equally little cause for alarm. It's a lengthy tournament, and Tuchel has built his team to excel in knockout football.

The momentum from Croatia was checked, but it won't take much for renewed optimism to build around the Three Lions once again. Tuchel will be hoping that an already-eliminated Panama side won't be quite as determined to shut his team out as Ghana was.

Panama have shown plenty of spirit across two matches but have been unfortunate not to score and will therefore be heading home after Saturday's fixture. Their displays suggest this won't be the walkover it was eight years ago, but it would still be a major shock if England slip up again.

Prediction: Panama 0–2 England

Panama Predicted Lineup vs. England

Seven of Christiansen's Panama squad also featured in 2018, the country's first-ever World Cup, and several players who appeared in the 6–1 loss to England are expected to feature again on Saturday.

Among them are defenders Fidel Escobar and Michael Amir Murillo, along with Yoel Bárcenas and José Luis Rodríguez in more advanced positions. Rodríguez departed his home country for Gent a decade ago and has since had stints at clubs including Alavés and Red Star Belgrade.

Cecilio Waterman could be handed a start up front ahead of José Fajardo, and Christiansen will be hoping key midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla is fit enough to contribute at MetLife. Carrasquilla was in training before the Croatia defeat but remained an unused substitute throughout.

Panama predicted lineup vs. England (3-4-3): Mosquera; Blackman, Ramos, Córdoba; Murillo, Harvey, Martínez, Andrade; Bárcenas, Waterman, Rodríguez.

England Predicted Lineup vs. Panama

England has already seen Tino Livramento ruled out of the tournament with a calf problem, with Tuchel bringing in center back Trevoh Chalobah as his replacement.

That leaves the Three Lions heavily dependent on Reece James at right back, but the Chelsea skipper picked up a hamstring injury during the draw with Ghana and has reportedly been ruled out for Saturday's match as well as a potential round of 32 fixture. Both James and Declan Rice missed training sessions in the lead-up to the Panama clash.

Rice's calf concern is considered less serious, though the midfielder is one booking away from a suspension in the round of 32, so Tuchel may opt not to take the risk. Jude Bellingham and Kobbie Mainoo are the frontrunners to partner Elliot Anderson, particularly with James unavailable.

In the forward line, Marcus Rashford is expected to replace Anthony Gordon on the left, while Bukayo Saka should be set for his first World Cup start. Morgan Rogers is also pushing for inclusion.

England predicted lineup vs. Panama (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Spence, Konsa, Guéhi, O'Reilly; Anderson, Bellingham; Saka, Rogers, Rashford; Kane.

Pick Your World Cup XI!

What Time Does Panama vs. England Kick Off?

How to Watch Panama vs. England on TV, Live Stream

SI answers is our AI answer engine trained on human-created content.