Panama were seconds away from securing a historic first-ever point at the World Cup on matchday one as it took Ghana until the 95th minute to make the breakthrough.
Croatia also suffered an opening game defeat, as England won 4-2 in Dallas to go top of the group.
The Croatians fought back twice in the first half to ensure the teams were level at 2-2 heading into the break, but whatever Thomas Tuchel said in the dressing room clearly worked.
The Three Lions looked a different side during the second half, scoring twice through Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford.
That result marked Croatia's first opening match defeat at a World Cup since 2014.
Panama v Croatia Tips Summary
Best Bet - Croatia to win @ 12/25
Alternative Bet - Both teams to score @ 21/20
Bet Builder - Peter Musa to score anytime, Ismael Diaz 1+ shot on target & Carlos Harvey to commit 1+ foul @ 5/1
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Panama v Croatia Prediction
Best Bet: Croatia to win @ 12/25
Croatia went toe-to-toe with England during an action-packed opening 45 minutes in Dallas. In the end, though, the defeat left the Croatians bottom of Group L.
Considering this side has reached a final and a semi-final at the previous two World Cups, they will be desperate to bounce back with a victory over La Marea Roja.
While form hasn't exactly been excellent in the months leading into the tournament, Zlatko Dalic has led his side to wins over France and Colombia since March 2025.
This is going to be the final tournament for players such as Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic and Mateo Kovacic, but there is plenty of young talent coming through aiming to make their mark.
Panama were unlucky not to take a point against Ghana, but Croatia will be in a dangerous mood heading into this tie so expect them to emerge with all three points.
Alternative Bet: Both teams to score @ 21/20
Leading up to their second World Cup appearance, Panama suffered just one defeat in the three pre-tournament friendlies they played.
That was a 6-2 thrashing by Brazil, yet scoring twice against the South American giants proved that Thomas Christiansen's side can trouble even the best teams in the world.
While not in the same league as Brazil, Panama also scored against fellow qualifiers Bosnia-Herzegovina, suggesting Dalic must be wary of the threat they pose.
Six of their last eight matches have featured both teams scoring, while this bet would have landed in six of Croatia's last seven international games.
The Europeans should prove to have too much firepower in the end, but Los Canaleros could well find the back of the net in this match.
Panama v Croatia Bet Builder Tip
Peter Musa to score anytime
Ismael Diaz 1+ shot on target
Carlos Harvey to commit 1+ foul
Pays 5/1
Peter Musa got on the scoresheet against England, scoring just before half time to make the score 2-2.
That goal should mean another start against Panama and there is no doubt that he can add more goals to his tally at this tournament, especially with a supporting cast including Modric and Perisic operating behind him feeding chances.
For Panama, Ismael Diaz is one to watch out for. He only came on for the final 20 minutes of the clash against Ghana and registered two shots on target during his cameo.
Christiansen might make a few changes to his starting XI ahead of this game and, with Diaz impressing, he could well be drafted in from the start.
Croatia did perform well for parts of the first half against England, but against Panama Dalic's men will have to play well in both halves.
His attacking players could enjoy plenty of success against their opponents, who may get more and more frustrated as the game goes on.
Against Ghana, Carlos Harvey committed five fouls throughout the game, therefore, backing him to commit one or more is the final leg of this bet builder.
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Key Match Stats
This will be the first meeting between Croatia and Panama
Croatia have reached at least the semi-finals at the previous two World Cups
Panama have now lost all four of their World Cup matches
Luka Modric will win his 200th cap for Croatia against Panama
Both teams have scored in five of Panama's last six matches
Croatia have scored two goals in three of their previous five games
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
