Match preview
Croatia enter as clear favourites, with the model giving them a 66% chance. Panama likely need an early goal or a red card to turn it.
Decimal fair odds from the model probabilities before bookmaker margin.
Why Croatia are favourites (66%)
- Croatia carry the higher Elo rating (346 points)
- Neutral venue — no home advantage applied
- Panama mixed recent form (1W 1D 3L)
- Croatia won 3 of their last five (3W 2L)
- Head-to-head treated as neutral — too few recent meetings to weigh (10% of the blend)
These factors combine to produce the 19% / 15% / 66% verdict above.
Expected match pattern
Croatia are expected to control possession and territory, while Panama will likely rely on defensive organisation and counter-attacks — a setup their recent results suggest they may struggle to sustain. An early Croatia goal would force Panama to open up, raising the chance of a multi-goal result; the longer it stays level, the more pressure shifts onto the favourites.
Expected goals: Panama 0.6 · Croatia 2
Quick stats
Panama — last 5
- Lv England0–2
- Lv Croatia0–1
- L@ Ghana0–1
- Dv Bosnia & Herzegovina1–1
- Wv Dominican Republic4–2
Croatia — last 5
- Wv Ghana2–1
- W@ Panama1–0
- L@ England2–4
- Wv Slovenia2–1
- Lv Belgium0–2
Head to head
Confirmed lineups
- 22O. Mosquera G
- 23M. Murillo D
- 13J. Ramos D
- 3J. Cordoba D
- 16A. Andrade D
- 2C. Blackman D
- 6C. Martinez
- 14C. Harvey M
- 11Y. Barcenas M
- 7J. Rodriguez M
- 17J. Fajardo F
- 1D. Livakovic G
- 2J. Stanisic D
- 6J. Sutalo D
- 3M. Pongracic D
- 4J. Gvardiol D
- 10L. Modric M
- 8M. Kovacic M
- 24M. Pasalic M
- 16M. Baturina M
- 14I. Perisic M
- 26P. Musa F
Key matchups
Panama's focal point in attack against the heart of Croatia's defence.
The central-midfield battle most likely to decide who controls possession and territory.
Croatia's main outlet — how Panama's central defence handles him shapes the counter-attack threat.
Predictions are model output, not betting advice. The model blends an Elo rating, last-5 form and host advantage; ratings update after every tournament result, and fair odds and likely scorelines are derived from the same blend. Bet responsibly — 18+. See PuntHub for verified tipster services.