Ghana vs Panama preview
Ghana
World CupWhy this tip?
If Ghana decides to try to push forward quickly against Panama, the latter could find themselves some space. On the flip side, if Ghana opt to sit deep and defend against Panama’s attacks, Panama can still get some joy via set pieces etc.
Match details
Matchday: 1
18/06
02:00 AM EAT
Toronto Stadium in Toronto Canada
Why this match matters
Ghana vs Panama offers great value for the larger named African side as the smaller Panama unit (which has had enough tenacity) will provide a tough opening test.
For Kenyans and the Topbets team, this normally produces good opportunities for bets in those areas of the market that show the public over-estimating the “big” team’s strength while the numbers indicate it will be much harder to find a winner than suggested by the club badges . Spain and Cape Verde was such a match.
Ghana vs Panama head-to-head stats
Alt: Ghana vs Panama World Cup h2h
Previous meetings
0
Head-to-head record
They haven’t met before. The best guide will be present day form, player availability and how both sides have dealt with comparable opponents.
Ghana recent form
D,L,L,L,L
Ghana’s last five matches
Wales vs Ghana 1:1
Mexico vs Ghana 2:0
Germany vs Ghana 2:1
Austria vs Ghana 5:1
South Korea vs Ghana 1:0
Goals scored and conceded
While Ghana does possess talented attackers, this area becomes even more important given that Thomas Partey will miss the contest, along with Mohammed Kudus being absent from the squad. This loss will lessen Ghana’s control in midfield and its capability to transform possession into clean shot opportunities –- both of which should lower confidence in an explosion of goals for Ghana.
Key trends from recent matches
For Ghana, the most significant trend has been an inability to produce consistent performances under pressure — particularly when competing against opponents that possess speed and structure. Specifically, Ghana has appeared uncomfortable when asked to defend transition attacks, which typically is relevant for a team looking to neutralize opponents who are prepared to park the bus and counter-attack.
Bettors might find it helpful to know that Ghana tends to be at their best when there isn’t a full-on sprint-a-thon taking place. When Ghana scores first, they tend to relax and take control. But when Panama scores first, Ghana might be forced to play catch-up. And chasing can sometimes give the match more room to breathe — and therefore create opportunities for players looking to back goals over outright match results.
Panama recent form
DWLDD
Panama’s last five matches
Panama vs Bosnia & Herzegovina 1:1
Panama vs Dominican Republic 4:2
Brazil vs Panama 6:2
South Africa vs Panama 1:2
South Africa vs Panama 1:1
Goals scored and conceded
Key trends from recent matches
Although their pattern does differ from many other teams, in terms of remaining competitive in matches, earning hard-fought draws with tough opponents and showing good physical stamina without needing to keep possession as much; this makes Panama a serious threat in the handicap market, particularly should the two sides be level at half time.
Panama’s overall trend shows that they tend to be more competitive (or capable), and usually prefer for the opposing side to take control of the early stages of the game. At times, it appears that they feel comfortable absorbing all the pressure applied by the opponent, prior to eventually slowing the pace of the game to make it a more prolonged betting opportunity; therefore, Panama will generally provide better odds for low- to moderate scoring opportunities versus an extreme one-sided outcome.
Team news
Ghana team news
Thomas Partey (who assists in controlling the midfield and creating chances through his runs) will miss the Ghana national team as well as possibly a couple of chances for Ghana in terms of running forward due to refusing a visa. A big blow. Also, midfielder Mohammed Kudus will not play for Ghana as he is dealing with fitness concerns. The last few days have seen issues arise with the Ghana team and Coach Carlos Queiroz has had little time to implement new tactics and make changes to the team.
There were no serious injury/suspension related issues concerning each team. However, since the injuries for Ghana are a larger issue than any potential suspensions for Panama, in terms of betting, injuries put Ghana clearly outside of “the easy favorite” category and squarely in the “see how this develops over the course of the game” category.
Panama team news
Adalberto Carrasquilla, one of Panama’s most dangerous attacking creative players, has been dealing with an injury concern but was reported in practice and may provide relief off the bench today. If healthy enough to impact the match, Carrasquilla will create problems for both teams involved in today’s match.
Like Ghana, I also didn’t find any major suspension/related injury information about Panama from previews. It appears that many view Panama as being relatively healthier entering today’s match vs Ghana which provides a large advantage to Panama in terms of player continuity (something that casual bettors frequently do not account for).
Predicted lineups
Ghana predicted XI
Ghana – Ati-Zigi. Senaya, Adjetey, Opoku, Mensah, Yirenkyi, Sibo, Nuamah, Williams, Semenyo, Ayew
Panama predicted XI
Panama – Mosquera. Ramos, Cordoba, Andrade, Murillo, Godoy, Carrasquilla, Davis, J. Rodriguez, Waterman, Fajardo
Best betting markets for Ghana vs Panama
Under 2.5 total goals makes sense here because I believe both sides will want to take a very conservative approach at least for the majority of the first half. The attacking prowess of neither side appears to be where we can bank on an explosive goal-fest. This angle usually holds good value in tournament openers — especially when one side is under pressure to avoid losing versus trying to win in chaotic fashion.
Another potential angle is both teams to score, if you feel Ghana’s defensive problems and Panama’s ability to keep themselves in the match will both emerge. There are also draw or Panama +1 handicap possibilities since Ghana’s recent form does not support a huge premium on them — particularly with Partey unavailable.
A final possible angle is a correct score of 1-1. Several of our preview articles point towards this possibility — and it seems like a reasonable assumption considering the neutralizing nature of both sides. Of course, there is always the possibility of choosing a more conservative angle — such as the first-half under. Tournament openers often do take awhile to develop.
Where to bet on Ghana vs Panama
Ghana vs Panama prediction
TIP 1 – DC 1X
As always, there is no better headline pick than a home win but we know this is probably not as safe an option as it appears. For instance, Ghana has the better reputation, they have more obviously better individual match winners and therefore a more obviously “better” betting profile at home. Thus a home win or simply a Ghana result isn’t a bad call.
But the problem with reputation is it doesn’t have equal form, and Ghana’s last few results don’t give us a lot of confidence that they’ll be able to easily go out and win here. In other words, if you feel you need to back Ghana, a narrow win by just one goal seems a far more realistic scenario than anything else.
TIP 2 – GG
BTTS (both teams to score) is a great second-best option as it takes into account how often Ghana leak and how capable Panama are of creating problems. If Ghana decides to try to push forward quickly against Panama, the latter could find themselves some space. On the flip side, if Ghana opt to sit deep and defend against Panama’s attacks, Panama can still get some joy via set pieces etc.
So BTTS is the kind of market suited to the type of gambler that thinks this match will be competitive right throughout. Plus BTTS is going to protect your bets should neither side actually end up dominating the other.
TIP 3 – UN 2.5
Under 2.5 is possibly the best all-round betting option. Ghana is going to come out fast to try and create something quickly, and I think it’s safe to say that Panama won’t let their foot off the gas immediately. With Partey missing and Kudus’ attacking influence also absent, I’m struggling to see why this has got to be such an eventful affair. So again for Kenya based punters, under 2.5 is a sensible option due to its lack of reliance on getting the correct outcome. Under 2.5 only asks that the match remains fairly low-key, which I genuinely believe is possible in this fixture.
TIP 4 CS 1:1
Correct Score 1-1 is the longer odds play and although it’s still built around the data and our preview view, it should suit those looking for a little extra reward without having to put everything on a big price.
There is certainly scope for either side to win by a single goal as part of any of these small multiples. The general feeling is that this will be a tight margins affair and less likely to be a free scoring encounter.
Best bet
The best bet here is the Under 2.5 Goals. The Under 2.5 Goals is the safest bet for this game based on all three elements (the opening game factor, team news, and both sides’ forms). I don’t see much potential to back either team heavily to outscore the other.
If you wish to look at an alternative (higher-risk) bet, the Both Teams To Score is another good bet. If Ghana bring the attacking flair we expect but continue to struggle defensively as we’ve seen recently, there will likely be an opportunity to take advantage of that.
Correct score prediction
My predicted correct score is Ghana 1-1 Panama. This seems to fit well with our previous preview predictions at Sports Mole and has some support from both sides’ recent performances and player availability.
As an alternative (if you would like to give the superior side a chance to just nick it), a Ghana 1-0 victory is also possible. However, I believe that a draw (Ghana 1-1 Panama) represents the best balance of probability for this particular fixture.
Best betting sites for World Cup betting
Also see: Tomorrow’s World Cup matches predictions
This is a classic example of how reputation can lead to a betting trap. Because Ghana are the higher profile team, they will get backing. Ghana’s recent performances however have been very inconsistent, particularly given they lose two of their main players (in midfield and attack) due to injury.
Panama on the other hand may not win the match, but they do have enough experience, and organizational skills to make sure that the match remains competitive throughout, making them a great candidate for a low scoring or low margin draw.
I’m Kanyi Muturi and am from Tabuga, a small village in Nakuru. I have been following all sports since I was a kid and have been interested in the gambling side of sports since I was in high school. It took me a little while to get a grasp on all of the different gambling terminology and understand how confusing and complicated it can all seem when you first start.
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