England go into Panama vs England with a fairly clear attacking route. Panama move from a 4-4-2 press into a 5-3-2 mid-block and then a 5-4-1 when they defend deeper, and that shape protects the centre while leaving the outside lanes more exposed. Thomas Tuchel was seen shouting at Djed Spence to get the ball into Anthony Gordon and then make the run, which fits the same idea. England are top of Group L on 4 points from 2 games.
Panama's defensive shape
The key issue for Panama is simple enough. Their 5-4-1 leaves them with four midfielders rather than five, so it becomes harder to cover the width of the pitch. Croatia's only goal came from exploiting the space Panama concede when they protect the centre, which is exactly the type of weakness England can try to pick apart.
Thomas Christiansen has had Panama pressing aggressively from goal-kicks in a 4-4-2 shape, but the deeper version is the one England will care about once possession settles. That is where quick switches matter, and where wide players can drag the wing-back away from the back line. Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford both offered encouraging signs against Croatia, with ratings of 7.0 and 7.2, and England have 4 goals in their opening two World Cup games.
England's best route into the gaps
The cleanest route is not a patient central build-up. It is to move the ball side to side, force Panama's wing-backs to keep shuffling, then attack the space between the wing-back and centre-back before the block can reset. Tuchel's touchline instructions to Spence pointed in the same direction, because the pass inside and immediate run beyond the ball is the kind of movement that unsettles a five-man defence.
There is a separate concern for Panama as well. A. Carrasquilla, their best player, is injured, and Panama have 0 points and have not scored in the group. They have conceded only 2, so they are not folding every time they are pressed, but they have already shown how fragile they can look when opponents keep them pinned in their own shape.
England do not need to force the issue through the middle. They need tempo, width and repeated switches, then the first clean pass into the space Panama leave behind the wing-back. With Group L still tight enough to matter, the match should tell us whether that pattern gives England another controlled win or just another night where Panama's shape stays intact.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →