Panama’s pace troubled Croatia in the first half, but halftime changes swung the game. Josip Stanišić’s low cross was calmly converted by substitute Ante Budimir in the 54th minute, sealing the win, Softfootball reports.
The result eliminated Panama, who have lost both matches, while Croatia now face Ghana in a decisive clash. A win on Saturday against Ghana, who earlier drew 0-0 with England, will confirm Croatia’s place in the knockout phase.
Luka Modrić, making his 200th international appearance, completed 88% of his passes before being substituted in the 81st minute. He has now maintained at least 80% passing accuracy in all 19 of his World Cup appearances.
Player Ratings
Panama
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| C. Martínez | 7.03 |
| A. Murillo | 6.26 |
| J. Rodríguez | 6.17 |
| J. Fajardo | 5.84 |
| J. Córdoba | 5.78 |
| C. Blackman | 5.76 |
| O. Mosquera | 5.71 |
| Y. Bárcenas | 5.66 |
| J. Ramos | 5.63 |
| A. Andrade | 5.62 |
| C. Harvey | 5.58 |
| É. Davis | 5.33 |
| A. Londoño | 5.22 |
| T. Rodríguez | 5.20 |
| C. Waterman | 5.18 |
Croatia
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| D. Livaković | 7.53 |
| A. Budimir | 7.17 (Match-winner) |
| L. Sučić | 6.75 |
| L. Modrić | 6.71 |
| I. Perišić | 6.63 |
| P. Sučić | 6.50 |
| M. Kovačić | 6.44 |
| M. Baturina | 6.43 |
| A. Kramarić | 6.43 |
| J. Stanišić | 6.34 |
| P. Musa | 6.34 |
| Marco Pašalić | 6.26 |
| J. Gvardiol | 6.19 |
| Mario Pašalić | 6.11 |
| M. Pongračić | 6.10 |
| J. Šutalo | 5.84 |
Match Statistics
| Statistic | Croatia | Panama |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 55% | 45% |
| Total Shots | 12 | 9 |
| Shots on Target | 4 | 3 |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 1.36 | 0.89 |
| Fouls Committed | 11 | 13 |
| Yellow Cards | 2 | 2 |
| Red Cards | 0 | 0 |
| Corners | 5 | 4 |
| Saves | 3 | 3 |
