If you don’t think a 6-1 loss can be a reason to celebrate, just ask the Panamanians. Felipe Baloy’s 78th-minute strike gave them a goal against England and even more importantly, their first ever World Cup goal. The fans went crazy and celebrated as if Panama had won. With scoring a goal out of the way, the next objective is a win. Hernan Gomez’s men will attempt to reach that objective at 20:00 on Thursday in Saransk’s Mordovia Arena.
Therefore, don’t be surprised if a team that has nothing to play for leaves its heart and soul on the field trying to earn a victory. Tunisia knows this. The last thing they want is for their name to be written in history as the victim of Panama’s first ever World Cup win. Nabil Maaloul will make sure his players know what’s at stake here. Wahbi Khazri is Tunisia’s captain and best player. He has been the only bright spot in their two losses and will try to shine brighter than everybody else for the third straight time.
Tunisia has actually won a single World Cup match in its history. It happened in 1978 in Argentina. There hasn’t been a North African nation that has won a World Cup game ever since. That 1978 victory was against a CONCACAF member (3-1 vs. Mexico), so the Tunisians have something to look forward to heading into this clash of zeroes.
Expect to see a rugged, physical game. Both squads are prone to making strong tackles and reckless challenges. Seeing a red card or two is a real possibility. As long as The Eagles of Carthage play up to their potential, they should conquer Panama. Belgium and England were two extremely demanding and high-quality opponents. After looking up for two matches, Tunisia will be looking down on its opponent in this one. If all goes according to plan, they should win.
Betting odds
Panama 4.5
Draw 3.75
Tunisia 1.85