Our betting expert expects a close match in Bengaluru. India are likely to push Panama all the way, but the visitors should edge the game.
Best bets for India vs Panama
- 1x2 - Panama at odds of 1.40 on Parimatch
- BTTS - No at odds of 1.60 on Parimatch
- Totals - Under 2.5 goals at odds of 1.73 on Parimatch
Our analysis: Form of both teams
- Score prediction: India 0-1 Panama
- Goalscorers prediction: Panama: Tomas Rodriguez
India start the international break after more than three months out of action. Khalid Jamil’s team must prepare for the visit of Panama, who are the lowest-ranked team they’ll face during this window. The Blue Tigers need these minutes to improve match fitness ahead of facing Brazil and Uruguay in the days after this fixture.
The good news for India is they’re at home in this one. Fans hope that can inspire them to surprise everyone. The reality is that India aren’t known for their football. That is reflected in their 138th position in the world rankings ahead of this round of fixtures. However, they are the holders of the South Asia Football Federation Championships, and these matches will prepare them for the defence of their title.
Panama left the World Cup without scoring a single goal and lost all three group games. Still, the federation has kept faith with Thomas Christiansen, who remains at the helm. He’s kept 16 players from the tournament in North America for this friendly against India.
Currently ranked 44th in the world, the Central Americans will be expected to easily see off the hosts in this match. However, Los Canaleros have been struggling for positive results recently. Following this clash, Panama head to Japan for the Kirin Cup, highlighting the need for a strong performance.
Probable lineups for India vs Panama
India expected lineup: Singh, Ali, Varghese, Teckham, Mishra, Choudhary, Shabang, Sanan, Nickson, Partap Singh, Lalrindika
Panama expected lineup: Mosquera, Murillo, Blackman, Cordoba, Andrade, Gutierrez, Martinez, Harvey, Adalberto, J. Rodriguez, T. Rodriguez
Visitors are good enough to win
Both teams enter this fixture in horrible form. The hosts are on a four-game winless streak, having lost three on the bounce in that sequence. They’ve managed just two victories across their last 10 matches, losing five and drawing three.
Panama’s three defeats at the World Cup are understandable, given the quality of the opposition. Before the global showpiece, the Central Americans had lost just one of five outings, which was to Brazil. That run saw Los Canaleros win two and draw two, including beating South Africa away from home.
Christiansen’s men are more than capable of putting in a strong performance in India. Without any previous meeting between the nations, there’s no statistical indication as to which way this could go. Yet, Panama’s ranking alone and their ability to produce strong performances allow us to lean towards them for the win.
- India vs Panama Betting Tip 1: 1x2 - Panama at odds of 1.40 on Parimatch
Goals in short supply
India have only scored two goals in their recent four matches, failing to find the net on two occasions (50%). That’s a concern for Jamil: getting his team to be more efficient in the attacking third. Three of their recent six outings produced goals for just one team.
Panama have also struggled to produce goals recently, going without a goal in each of their last three matches. However, they managed to score at least once in their previous five fixtures.
As a result, the visitors should be good enough to pierce the home defence at least once. This is unlikely to be a thrilling goal fest, given the shortcomings of both teams when they get into dangerous areas. Based on these factors, it’s worth considering both teams not scoring on Friday.
- India vs Panama Betting Tip 2: BTTS - No at odds of 1.60 on Parimatch
Lack of match practice could limit goals
Given both teams’ recent struggles in the final third, the goal count is likely to remain low. Three of India’s recent four matches produced fewer than three goals. The situation with Panama isn’t vastly different.
The visitors’ recent numbers are even worse. Los Canaleros’ last four matches all produced goals below the three-goal line. Across their previous 10 matches, seven also ended with the total below three.
With this being the first match both teams are playing after a while, we don’t expect them to be fluent, especially at the front. Consequently, the Bengaluru crowd may not be treated to more than two goals on Friday afternoon.
- India vs Panama Betting Tip 3: Totals - Under 2.5 goals at odds of 1.73 on Parimatch