England will be desperate to build on their dramatic late victory against Tunisia and take a commanding stance in Group G when they take on Panama. Gareth Southgate’s side played some of the best football any team has produced in the tournament in the opening 30 minutes, but hit a wall when Tunisia equalised from the spot.
England’s team appeared to have been leaked after a photographer snapped the line-up written on paper held by assistant manager Steve Holland. Marcus Rashford may start over Raheem Sterling and Ruben Loftus-Cheek replaces the injured Dele Alli.
Panama marked their first ever World Cup appearance with a 3-0 defeat against Belgium. The Panamanians fought hard but fell short of quality in the final third, picking up five yellow cards in the process.
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The team news is in. England line up as expected with with only the one change from the win over Tunisia, Ruben Loftus-Cheek in for the injured Dele Alli. Full team: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire; Trippier, Loftus-Cheek, Henderson, Young; Lingard, Sterling; Kane.
And for balance, here's how Panama will line up. Penedo, Murillo, Escobar, Torres, Gomez, Perez, Barcenas, Cooper, Davis, Godoy, J Rodriguez. England have arrived at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium. They are currently getting a feel for their surroundings with team news imminent. As reported earlier today we expect Raheem Sterling to keep his place with Ruben Loftus-Cheek making his full Three Lions debut. Team news will be along shortly. The England dressing room is nearly ready for the Three Lions. Not long to wait now. After Belgium’s emphatic 5-2 victory over Tunisia in Group G, three points from Panama in Nizhny Novgorod on Sunday will be enough for Gareth Southgate's side to secure qualification. A surprise draw against the CONCACAF qualifiers would damage England’s chances of progression, but not fatally so. A shock defeat, however, would leave much resting on Thursday’s final Group G encounter with Belgium in Kaliningrad. Mark Critchley has crunched the numbers so you don't have to. England vs Panama permutations: What do Gareth Southgate's side need to qualify? The atmosphere in Nizhny Novgorod is building nicely. Our men on the ground are having a great time in any case. John Stones is thankful to Gareth Southgate for keeping the faith during his difficult end to the season. "I spoke to Gareth," he said. "I got a lot of little injuries and things that weren't said out in public. That's why I wasn't in the squad as much. "I wanted to make sure I was right to fight for my spot at City and I never took my spot for granted in the England team. Never will, or ever think like that. "I knew I had to fight right until the end, even though some people may say different. "Gareth's shown a lot of faith in me. I can't express enough how thankful I am for that. "Sometimes you're in difficult spots as players where form's not right and he's got a difficult decision to make whether 'should I play him or not'. "He knows us well enough by now, our characters, individually they're all different, it's down to him." Of course, a game against Panama is one England really should be winning. But as we've already seen at this World Cup, write off the underdogs at your peril. Jack Pitt-Brooke, our man in Niznhy Novgorod, explains why sticking to the script will be England's best chance of sealing their place in the last-16 this afternoon. Keeping to the script against Panama passion will be England's biggest test Gareth Southgate has spoken over the weekend about the whole teamsheet leak furore, and in true Southgate style, he's attempted to quash the row that has emerged between the media and fans. It was of course the England boss who triggered the row by claiming the media should get behind the Three Lions, but he has since clarified that his wording could have been better on the matter and that he understands they are in Russia to do a job themselves. Long story short, let's end this one here... Gareth Southgate plays down 'leaked' team sheet drama Who are you backing to win today's encounter?
Today's the day that England could book their place in the last-16 of the World Cup - something that would ease a tonne of pressure on next Thursday's game against Belgium. A win against Panama will see Gareth Southgate's side join Belgium on six points each, confirming Group G's top two, and leave the pair to battle it out to see who will top the group. But a shock defeat against Panama will leave them exposed to potential group stage-elimination for the second World Cup in a row. With kick-off scheduled for 16:00 BST, we'll bring you all the latest build-up and talking points on what is sure to be another busy day at Russia 2018. Hello and welcome to our live coverage of England vs Panama. Join us for build-up, the latest team news and minute-by-minute coverage.
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What time is it?
England vs Panama kicks off at 13:00 at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium.
Where can I watch it?
BBC will show live coverage on BBC One and on the BBC Sport website.
Odds
England: 1/4
Panama: 15/1
Draw: 5/1
Prediction
England 3 vs 0 Panama. Surely there is only one possible result in this game. Panama eventually crumbled under Belgium’s pressure and offered very little going forward. If England can replicate the standard of play they set in the opening exchanges against Tunisia, there is no reason why they can’t put a few past their opponents.
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England vs Panama betting tips: World Cup match preview & predictions
England vs Panama prediction: England 3-0 Panama
Unbeaten in their last 11 matches, England should feel confident of a convincing win against Costa Rica.
The Three Lions beat another central American side, Costa Rica, 2-0 in one of their warm-up matches.
Although Panama lost their opening match 3-0 to Belgium, England would be wise to ward off any complacency.
Awesome England vs Panama World Cup free bet offers!
England vs Panama: Who will win?
England are 2/9 favourites to win on Sunday, while Panama are 20/1 outsiders for the shock win.
Even a draw is rated at long odds of 11/2.
When it comes to first goal scorer odds, no one will be surprised to see Harry Kane firmly in the mix.
England vs Panama match preview
England take on Panama in their second Group G match at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Sunday.
Panama were beaten 3-0 by Belgium in their opening match.
With Belgium crushing Tunisia 5-2 on Saturday, an England win would confirm Panama’s elimination from the tournament.
A win for Gareth Southgate’s side would also seal their qualification into the round of 16, heading into their final group match against Belgium next week.
With both sides on six points, the England versus Belgium match would decide who finishes top of Group G.
England will be full of confidence!
England were 2-1 winners in their opening match against Tunisia.
Captain Harry Kane opened the scoring for the Three Lions early on before Tunisia scored a penalty to level things up.
Gareth Southgate’s side looked to be heading for a draw but Harry Kane snatched a second goal in second-half stoppage time to seal a dramatic victory.
England and Panama have never faced each other in their history.
England team news vs Panama
Dele Alli is a major doubt after picking up a thigh strain against Tunisia. The Tottenham midfielder returned to training on Saturday but will likely fall short of fitness for Sunday’s match.
Gareth Southgate is happy with Dele’s recovery but he will not play in this one.
Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek is expected to come in for Alli. The 22-year-old made a brief but impactful cameo against Tunisia.
Marcus Rashford could replace Raheem Sterling in what is likely to be the only further change to the England eleven.
Eric Dier, Danny Rose and Gary Cahill provide some alternate options for Gareth Southgate.
Much of the build-up to this match has been dominated by an England team “leak” – so all eyes will be on the Three Lions team sheet when it is released.
According to reports on Sunday morning, England make just one change and that is RLC for Dele. The updated Three Lions starting XI is below.
Panama team news vs England
Roman Torres is fully fit following a slight scare ahead of the Belgium match.
Hernan Gomez is unlikely to make wholesale changes to his side.
Armando Cooper is in line to win his 100th international cap, which will see him become the 7th centurion in the 23-man squad.
England predicted starting line-up vs Panama
Panama predicted line-up vs England
All odds mentioned in this article are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
The latest videos from England pre Panama
We’re LIVE as the #ThreeLions train for the final time ahead of Sunday’s game against Panama! https://t.co/EPZILX2K2V — England (@England) June 23, 2018
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England vs Panama | World Cup 2018, Group G | Nizhny Novgorod Stadium
England must build upon their opening game win over Tunisia when they face Panama today.
A late Harry Kane winner, his second goal of the match, has put England in with a strong chance of qualifying for the knockout stages given results elsewhere,
With Belgium thrashing Tunisia 5-2 to go top of the group, Gareth Southgate knows England need a big win against Panama if they are to stand a realistic chance of finishing above the Red Devils.
Group G P W D L F A Pts Belgium 2 2 0 0 8 2 6 England 1 1 0 0 2 1 3 Panama 1 0 0 1 0 3 0 Tunisia 2 0 0 2 2 8 0
Scroll down for Standard Sport's comprehensive preview...
Start time
England face Panama at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium with kick-off scheduled for 1pm BST.
TV, online and live stream coverage
The match will be televised live on BBC One. Viewers can stream the match online via the BBC iPlayer.
You will be able to follow the match with Standard Sport's dedicated LIVE blog.
Prediction
Betting tips via Betfair | UK users only | Odds subject to change
England to win 3-0: 6/1
Draw at HT, England win at FT: 11/4
Harry Kane to score 2 or more: 11/4
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Head to head
This is the first meeting, competitive or otherwise, between Panama and England.
Team news
In Pictures | Tunisia vs England, World Cup | 18.06.2018 48 show all In Pictures | Tunisia vs England, World Cup | 18.06.2018 1/48 Jeremy Selwyn 2/48 REUTERS 3/48 PA 4/48 EPA 5/48 REUTERS 6/48 AP 7/48 PA 8/48 REUTERS 9/48 AP 10/48 AP 11/48 PA 12/48 PA 13/48 REUTERS 14/48 AP 15/48 AFP/Getty Images 16/48 AFP/Getty Images 17/48 PA 18/48 REUTERS 19/48 REUTERS 20/48 AP 21/48 REUTERS 22/48 PA 23/48 REUTERS 24/48 REUTERS 25/48 EPA 26/48 AP 27/48 REUTERS 28/48 AP 29/48 EPA 30/48 REUTERS 31/48 REUTERS 32/48 REUTERS 33/48 PA 34/48 REUTERS 35/48 REUTERS 36/48 AFP/Getty Images 37/48 Getty Images 38/48 Getty Images 39/48 PA 40/48 PA 41/48 AFP/Getty Images 42/48 AP 43/48 REUTERS 44/48 REUTERS 45/48 PA 46/48 PA 47/48 PA 48/48 REUTERS 1/48 Jeremy Selwyn 2/48 REUTERS 3/48 PA 4/48 EPA 5/48 REUTERS 6/48 AP 7/48 PA 8/48 REUTERS 9/48 AP 10/48 AP 11/48 PA 12/48 PA 13/48 REUTERS 14/48 AP 15/48 AFP/Getty Images 16/48 AFP/Getty Images 17/48 PA 18/48 REUTERS 19/48 REUTERS 20/48 AP 21/48 REUTERS 22/48 PA 23/48 REUTERS 24/48 REUTERS 25/48 EPA 26/48 AP 27/48 REUTERS 28/48 AP 29/48 EPA 30/48 REUTERS 31/48 REUTERS 32/48 REUTERS 33/48 PA 34/48 REUTERS 35/48 REUTERS 36/48 AFP/Getty Images 37/48 Getty Images 38/48 Getty Images 39/48 PA 40/48 PA 41/48 AFP/Getty Images 42/48 AP 43/48 REUTERS 44/48 REUTERS 45/48 PA 46/48 PA 47/48 PA 48/48 REUTERS
England’s preparations took an unexpected turn on Thursday when assistant coach Steve Holland was photographed holding a piece of paper which showed plans to train with Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Marcus Rashford instead of Dele Alli and Raheem Sterling.
Alli is expected to miss the game as he continues his recovery from a thigh injury but Southgate hinted Sterling might not be dropped after all while seeking to clarify comments he made 24 hours earlier which urged media to choose “whether the want to help the team or not”.
Predicted line-ups
England players battle midges during Tunisia match 8 show all England players battle midges during Tunisia match 1/8 Flies surround the team during the anthem prior the group G match against Tunisia AP 2/8 Dele Alli tries to chase away mosquitos from his face during the warm-up AP 3/8 The team were forced to reapply bug spray before kick-off. PA 4/8 Alexander-Arnold rubs insect repellent on his face PA 5/8 Arnold sprays the bug spray on his face before the match PA 6/8 Dele Alli, right, reacts to flies during the anthem AP 7/8 Raheem Sterling (right) swats away insects PA 8/8 Sterling tried to swat away the flies, to little affect Getty Images 1/8 Flies surround the team during the anthem prior the group G match against Tunisia AP 2/8 Dele Alli tries to chase away mosquitos from his face during the warm-up AP 3/8 The team were forced to reapply bug spray before kick-off. PA 4/8 Alexander-Arnold rubs insect repellent on his face PA 5/8 Arnold sprays the bug spray on his face before the match PA 6/8 Dele Alli, right, reacts to flies during the anthem AP 7/8 Raheem Sterling (right) swats away insects PA 8/8 Sterling tried to swat away the flies, to little affect Getty Images
England XI: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire; Trippier, Loftus-Cheek, Henderson, Lingard, Young; Rashford, Kane
Panama XI: Penedo; Torres, Escobar, Murillo, Davis; Gomez, Godoy, Cooper, Barcenas, Rodriguez; Perez
Full World Cup fixture schedule
England vs Panama Prediction, Betting Tips and Preview
In the first game of the day, England and Panama will face off at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium. After the win over Tunisia England will try and boost their morale in the upcoming clash with Panama.
England is placed second in Group G with three points from their win over Tunisia in the first round. They won by the score of 2-1 and were on the verge of a big disappointment up until the final minutes of the game. The Tunisians managed to hold the 1-1 draw until the stoppage time when Harry Kane managed to net in the winning goal. Despite Tunisians poor defensive line, the match favorites failed to secure a win with a bigger margin. They had seventeen shots on goal of which seven were on target. Raheem Sterling failed to deliver on his part having missed a few great chances. It is likely that due to his weak first game Marcus Rashford will be given a chance to prove himself in the upcoming clash. The match with Panama is a fantastic chance for Southgate’s troops to fix the impression and raise the spirits with a sweeping victory.
Panama is placed last in their group and has zero points after the first-round match against Belgium. They lost by the score of 3-0. Belgium demonstrated just how good they are and what is to be expected from them in the remaining clashes. Their squad is filled with young and talented players and they did what was expected of them against Panama. The game started slow and in the first half, we have not seen any changes on the scoreboard. In the second, things started to heat up and as a result, we witnessed three goals. Mertens opened the goal-scoring sheet just two minutes into the second half and in the mid-portion of it, Lukaku added two goals of his own, thus setting the final result. This is their first World Cup, ever. They are the only debutants in this edition of the tournament having shockingly secured their tickets for Russia on the expense of United States who only came fifth at the end of the final round in the CONCACAF qualifying zone.
Things are going as planned for the favorites in Group G, as both Belgium and England secured wins in their opening fixtures. Another pair of successes would send them to the knockout round even before their encounter in the third round. Things are not looking great for Panama and after this game, they are likely to be eliminated from the competition unless they pull a miracle against one of the biggest football nations, something that is very unlikely to happen. The two teams have never played a match against each other. England is on an eleven-game unbeaten streak with eight wins and three draws, while Panama has five losses, two draws, and a single win from their recent matches. The European football powerhouse is a big favorite and anything else that a loss would be a big surprise.
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England vs Panama Stats
Stats are based on the last 10 games (including friendly matches without World Cup 2018 matches)
ENGLAND PANAMA FORM(WON-DRAW-LOSS) 7-3-0 3-2-5 GOALS SCORED 14 10 SHOTS ON TARGET 52 38 SHOTS OFF TARGET 45 29 GOALS CONCEDED 3 16 TOTAL GOALS 17 26 OVER 1.5 GOALS 5 6 OVER 2.5 GOALS 3 5 OVER 3.5 GOALS 1 3 UNDER 1.5 GOALS 5 4 UNDER 2.5 GOALS 7 5 BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE 3 3 CLEAN SHEETS 7 3 CORNERS 69 30 FOULS 110 125 YELLOWS 9 14 REDS 0 1 OFFSIDES 14 19
Missing players
England have almost all players available for the match against Panama. Dele Alli is not fully fit and he is doubtful for the match. All other players are fully fit and highly motivated to hammer Panama on Sunday.
On the other side Panama don’t have missing players and fresh injuries for the match against England. All players are ready to play and they will play aggressive from the first minute.
Possible starting lineups
England: Pickford; Walker, Stone, Maguire; Henderson; Trippier, Lingard, Loftus-Cheek, Young; Rashford, Kane
Panama: Penedo; Murillo, Torres, Escobar, Davis; Gomez; Barcenas, Godoy, Cooper, Rodriguez; Perez
England vs Panama Prediction
We can start our betting day on Sunday with a one of true ticket booster games. England take on World Cup newcomers Panama and the Three Lions are highly motivated to pick another three points on this tournament. England scored a stoppage-time winner to defeat Tunisia 2-1 and now will try to score an early goal and finish this game without conceding. Three points for Gareth Southgate's side would secure its spot in the knockouts and they will do their best on Sunday. On the other side Panama lost their opening game to Belgium 3-0 and will try to do something against England. Panama suffered the biggest defeat in a World Cup debut match and will play much strong in defense line. But, this game is their last chance to reach Round of 16 and will try to score after fast counterattacks. Panama’s only win in their last eight matches was a 1-0 win away to Trinidad & Tobago and have failed to score in five of their last six matches. So, they must be underdogs on the match with highly motivated England.
Our prediction and betting tips for the match England vs Panama Prediction: England to win. We expect from the Three Lions to score in both halves and will hammer Panama. They will play strong and aggressive in defending and will keep a clean sheet. Our second betting pick for the match is England to win to nil. Maybe correct score will be 3-0.
A £100 Bet on England to win 3-0 returns £700. Click here!
England vs Panama Goal-Scorer Prediction
Harry Kane has scored both of England’s goals so far at World Cup 2018 and will be a key player on this match against Panama. He has scored in each of his last four appearances for England. We expect from him to score in both halves on this match. So, our risky bet goes on Kane to score at least two goals. Have a nice betting day and good luck in earning money with our prediction and betting tips.
England vs Panama Bet
England vs Panama Odds:
