Preview: Panama vs Tunisia
Panama can prevail if they focus on their strengths.
Tunisia’s forward Bassem Srarfi (C), Tunisia’s midfielder Ahmed Khalil (front R) and teammates attend a training session at the Volgograd Arena in Volgograd on June 17, 2018, on the eve of the Russia 2018 World Cup Group G football match between Tunisia and England. / AFP PHOTO / NICOLAS ASFOURI
Few will mourn Tunisia and Panama’s departure from this World Cup but they each have a change to depart with something to show for their time in Russia.
All things being equal, Tunisia really ought to win this game. They have the better and more experienced players, but at the same time they will be the team that leaves the tournament with regrets. Unlike Panama, they will have harboured realistic hopes of reaching the last 16 and that late, late England winner on the opening matchday will still sting.
Panama, on the other hand, can just enjoy it. They will surely now look beyond the spoiling tactics they deployed against the group heavyweights, while even in the 6-1 defeat to England they showed in patches that they could create as well as destroy.
If Tunisia are anything less than fully switched on, there could well be a surprise in store here. Panama are 7/2 for the win, and that looks pretty big. They gave Belgium a better game than Tunisia managed, while the only real differences in the two games against England were the Three Lions taking their chances against Panama and a referee who penalised rugby tackles in the penalty area.
Watch both games those England games again, and you’ll see Panama really didn’t play any worse than Tunisia. Indeed, they created more than the African side.
If Panama are prepared to focus on playing football rather than merely a deeply flawed attempt to stop anyone else doing so, they could go home here on the back of a famous win – their nation’s first ever at the World Cup.
· Panama to win at 7/2
