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England vs Panama, World Cup 2018: When is England's next game, what time does it start and what TV channel is it on?

Can Harry Kane lead England to a second win in a week? - PA
Can Harry Kane lead England to a second win in a week? - PA

What is it?

England's second Group G match of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Gareth Southgate's side got off to a terrific start with a late win over Tunisia, thanks to Harry Kane's double.

Now it's onto Panama, before their final group game against Belgium.

When is it?

Sunday, June 24, 2018. 

Where is it?

Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod.

What time is kick-off?

1pm BST.

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What TV channel is it on?

The BBC and ITV are sharing the rights to this World Cup. You can watch this one on BBC.

Latest team news

England

Dele Alli is hoping the quad complaint picked up in England's World Cup win against Tunisia is not too serious.

The 22-year-old played 80 minutes of Monday's 2-1 Group G clash in Volgograd, despite Fabian Delph being stripped and seemingly ready to come on in the first half.

Alli will have the quad issue assessed upon England's return to the team base in Repino, with the midfielder hoping it will not rule him out Sunday's match against Panama.

"Hopefully I am OK," Alli said after the game. "It's my quad."

England vs Tunisia Player ratings

England manager Gareth Southgate will be hoping for good news after keeping tabs Alli's issue against Tunisia.

"We had to keep monitoring Dele," the Three Lions boss said.

"He was feeling a little bit of an issue just before half-time, but he felt he could carry on and I thought the runs that he was making and the way he was pressing the ball was still causing a problem.

"He had a half chance with a lovely ball Jordan Henderson played to him, lofted over the top.

"But we have good options on the bench and we felt to put the freshness of Marcus (Rashford) and Ruben (Loftus-Cheek) would both bring fresh energy but also a different sort threat to the one that we'd posed."

Panama

The World Cup finals debutants have no injuries to report and Hernan Dario Gomez has a full-strength squad of relatively unknown but remarkably experienced players - the 24 men picked for the spring friendlies averaged 59 caps each - ready for Russia. 

 

World Cup 2018 venues

What do we know about the Panama team?

In a country better known for its baseball players and boxing champions, football will muscle into their territory when Panama make a first trip to the World Cup.

The Central Americans aren't complete unknowns. Twice runners-up at the Concacaf Gold Cup, they qualified for the tournament in Russia by finishing ahead of the United States. That's despite the huge disparity between the countries: Panama has only 4 million people, while the US has about 320 million.

Tougher challenges loom for Panama in June when Belgium and England are among the team's opponents in Group G.

Roman Torres could be key to preventing Panama from leaking goals. The dreadlocked defender became a national hero after scoring the goal that clinched Panama's World Cup place, leading to a national holiday being declared.

Here's a closer look at the Panama team:

Coach

Gomez is known for working his magic. After guiding his homeland of Colombia to the 1998 World Cup, he led Ecuador to the tournament for the first time in 2002.

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Goalkeepers

Jaime Penedo, who started in goal in the last three qualifiers, helped the team finish second at the Concacaf Gold Cup in 2005 and in 2013, where he was named the best goalkeeper. But he has not been a regular starter recently at Dinamo Bucharest in Romania.

Defenders

The 32-year-old Torres of the Seattle Sounders club is trying to get back into full shape after a knee injury. He is set be joined in central defense by Fidel Escobar and Adolfo Machado. They will likely be flanked by Michael Murillo on the right and Eric Davis on the left.

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Midfielders

Gabriel Gomez and Anibal Godoy are expected to assume the defensive midfield roles. Alberto Quintero is likely to play on the left and Edgar Joel Barcenas could play on the right or in the center behind the striker to create more scoring chances.

Forwards

Expect a sole striker for the Belgium and England games. Gomez will have to decide on 37-year-old Blas Perez or 29-year-old Gabriel Torres, who has had a successful season with Chilean club Huachipato. Luis Tejada, known as the "Matador" for his lethal finishing, is 36 and is another aging option.

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What are they saying?

Panama coach Hernan Dario Gomez hopes his team is a "dignified rival":

"I hope people enjoy it instead of criticising and destroying the dream that we've achieved.

"We have played Wales, who are more or less the same style (as England). We also played against Iran, who are like Tunisia. We have knowledge of what we'll come up against.”

Latest Group G table

World Cup 2018 Group G

What are the odds?

  • England to win 1/5

  • Draw 4/1

  • Panama to win 12/1

Kane
Kane

What's our prediction?

To avoid embarrassing defeats at the World Cup, Panama have experimented with five defenders and they limited the damage in a friendly against Denmark in March to a 1-0 loss. England have often struggled to break defensive teams down, but once the first goal goes in, expect the floodgates to open.
Predicted score: England 4 Panama 0.