TORONTO: Croatia, with the help of Ante Budimir, secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Panama in their Group L clash of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at Toronto Stadium, keeping their World Cup campaign on track after an opening 4-2 defeat to England in their campaign-opener.
The match began in a cagey fashion, with Panama looking organised and physical in midfield while Croatia struggled to create clear chances. Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic found little space as Panama pressed high and disrupted Croatia’s passing rhythm.
The best chance of the first half came for Panama in the 23rd minute when Panama’s Jose Luis Rodriguez met a cross with a powerful header, but goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic produced a superb save to tip the effort onto the crossbar.
Croatia improved after the break following tactical changes from coach Zlatko Dalic, who introduced Ante Budimir to add more presence in attack. The substitution paid off quickly as Croatia took the lead in the 54th minute.
A well-worked move down the right saw Josip Stanisic deliver a low cross into the box, which Budimir finished from close range at the far post.
After falling behind, Panama pushed forward in search of an equaliser and created several dangerous moments. However, Livakovic was in outstanding form, making a series of crucial saves to deny the Panamanian attack, including a strong stop from a close-range header during a period of sustained pressure.
Croatia had chances to extend their lead on the counter-attack but could not find a second goal. Despite late pressure from Panama, they held firm defensively to secure all three points.
The win takes Croatia to three points in the Group L standings, with England and Ghana tied for four points, setting up an important final group-stage match as they continue their push for qualification. (ANI)
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