Group L reaches its conclusion on Sunday morning in South Africa as Croatia take on Ghana while Panama face England in the final round of fixtures. We take a look at both matches from a betting angle below.
Group L Update
England currently lead Group L on four points after recording one win and one draw from their opening two matches. Ghana are level with England on four points, while Croatia sit third on three points and Panama are bottom of the group without a point.
The group remains very competitive heading into the final round. England require only a draw against Panama to secure qualification for the Round of 32, while Ghana also remain in a strong position after staying unbeaten through their opening two matches.
Croatia know that victory over Ghana would see them climb up the log and guarantee progression.
Ghana need only a draw to stay above Croatia and move into the knockout stage.
Panama have already been eliminated but will be hoping to end their campaign with a positive result against England.
Croatia vs Ghana
Croatia enter the final round in third place but remain firmly in the qualification race. Their campaign began with a 4-2 defeat against England in an entertaining opening fixture.
They responded with a vital 1-0 win over Panama in their second outing. After a goalless first half, Ante Budimir found the breakthrough in the 54th minute to give Croatia all three points and keep them in the hunt for qualification.
Ghana have made an excellent start to the tournament and arrive at this fixture unbeaten after two rounds of action. They opened their campaign with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Panama, where the match looked set to end goalless before Prince Kwabena Adu Yirenkyi struck in the 95th minute to hand Ghana a crucial three points.
Their second fixture produced an impressive 0-0 draw against England. Ghana defended with stability throughout the contest and managed to keep one of the strongest attacking sides in the group quiet. While they could not find a winner of their own, the clean sheet kept them second in the standings and placed them in a strong position heading into the final round.
Head-to-Head
There have been no previous meetings between these nations.
Betting – Click here to bet
Croatia 1.80
Draw 3.40
Ghana 5.50
Verdict
Croatia recovered well from their opening defeat and showed enough composure to get the job done against Panama. They have already scored three goals across the tournament and will know that only victory guarantees their place in the next round. Ghana have been extremely disciplined defensively and are yet to concede but this is likely to be their toughest test from a pressure point of view. With Croatia needing the win and carrying more attacking quality, I expect them to edge a tight contest.
BET: Croatia to Win at 1.80
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Panama vs England
Panama have endured a difficult World Cup campaign and enter the final round without a point or a goal. Their opening fixture ended in a narrow 1-0 defeat against Ghana, where they battled hard for most of the contest before conceding deep into stoppage time.
Their second match followed a similar pattern as they suffered another 1-0 defeat, this time against Croatia. Panama remained competitive during the first-half, but Ante Budimir struck in the 54th minute to leave them bottom of the group and officially eliminated from contention.
England started their campaign with a thrilling 4-2 win over Croatia. Harry Kane opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 12th minute before adding his second shortly before the break. Croatia managed to respond through Martin Baturina and Petar Musa, but England took control in the second half as Jude Bellingham scored just after the restart before Marcus Rashford sealed the victory in the 85th minute.
They followed that performance with a frustrating 0-0 draw against Ghana. England controlled long spells but were unable to break down a balanced Ghanaian defence, leaving them on four points heading into the last group fixture.
Head-to-Head
The only previous meeting between these nations came during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where England recorded a 6-1 victory over Panama.
Betting – Click here to bet
Panama 16.00
Draw 8.00
England 1.18
Verdict
England were frustrated by Ghana last time out, but this looks like a strong opportunity to return to winning ways. Panama have defended with commitment across both matches but have offered very little going forward and remain without a goal in the tournament. England have far more quality in the final third and should be able to control the match from start to finish. I expect England to secure top spot with a professional victory similar to their opener against Croatia.
BET: England to Win and Over 3.5 Goals at 2.35
Note: All prices are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
