Hello and welcome to our live coverage of this afternoon’s Group G encounter between England and Panama.
Gareth Southgate’s men got up and running with a dramatic, late 2-1 victory over Tunisia last week thanks to a double from Harry Kane.
They will be looking to get a second win here today against World Cup debutants Panama today, who fell 3-0 to Belgium.
Here's how the teams are shaping up...
— FIFA World Cup 🏆 (@FIFAWorldCup) June 24, 2018
Predictions for #ENGPAN? #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/lkH2AwXKFh
Today’s teams will line out as follows…
England: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire; Trippier, Henderson, Young; Loftus-Cheek, Lingard; Sterling; Kane.
Panama: Penedo; Murillo, R Torres, Escobar, Davis; Barcenas, Cooper, Gomez, Godoy, J Rodriguez; Perez.
This is so good. Let's make more memories today, lads. 🙏#threelions pic.twitter.com/TTg1jInQaK
— England (@England) June 24, 2018
The national anthems are done and dusted and kick-off is just moments away. How’s this one going?
Poll Results:
KICK-OFF: We’re underway at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium!
A nasty early bang is suffered by Jesse Lingard. The Man United forward collided with Gabriel Gomez competing for a high ball and is now receiving medical attention from the England doctors.
Chance! That was a big, big let-off for England as Panama somehow cut them apart with absolute ease in the final third. The ball is put on a plate for Anibal Godoy, but the midfielder completely mishit his strike and ballooned the ball high and wide. Where did that come from?
GOAL! ENGLAND 1-0 PANAMA (STONES 8)
England are ahead after just eight minutes and it’s a brilliant header from John Stones. The Man City defender peeled away from his marker and was given an ocean of space inside the box to pick a corner with a thumping effort. It’s his first goal for England!
GOAL!
— England (@England) June 24, 2018
Eight minutes in and there's John Stones to head in from a corner and put the #ThreeLions ahead. 👏 pic.twitter.com/z7HASy7hGl
No goals from corners in 72 attempts at tournaments, now three in two games. Panama busy grappling with Kane, Maguire and Loftus-Cheek, Murillo failed to pick up Stones, powerful header. 1-0 #eng
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) June 24, 2018
Panama doing really well to get the ball into the final third but they lack any sort of composure to finish off their attacks. England are in control of this game, but still look just a little nervous in the centre of defence when Panamanian forwards run directly at them.
Chance! Edgar Barcenas whips a brilliant effort goal-bound and it very nearly flies into Jordan Pickford’s bottom corner from 25 yards. He got a lot of power behind his strike and it had the England goalkeeper just a tad bit worried as he tried to cover all his angles.
2 - John Stones is the second @ManCity player to score for England at the World Cup, and the first since Trevor Francis in 1982. Citizens. #ENGPAN #ENG #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/itsCbD7iwv
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 24, 2018
PENALTY! Jesse Lingard is shoved over from behind by Fidel Escobar and England have the chance to double their lead from the spot.
Lingard pushed. England pen
— Oliver Holt (@OllieHolt22) June 24, 2018
GOAL! ENGLAND 2-0 PANAMA (KANE 22)
Harry Kane with an emphatic penalty which flies into the top corner makes it 2-0 to England after just 22 minutes. It’s his third goal in two games, and his side look to be en route to a comfortable three points here.
England should consider taking Kane off relatively early. Panama are scuts, they’ll do damage to someone before this game is finished #WorldCup
— Paul Dollery (@PaulDollery) June 24, 2018
Incredibly, Panama have actually had more shots so far in this game with three efforts on goal. Southgate’s men have had just two — both of which have been whacked into the back of the net. Clinical.
GOAL! ENGLAND 3-0 PANAMA (LINGARD 36)
That’s a superb goal.
— Tony Barrett (@TonyBarrett) June 24, 2018
It’s an absolutely sublime strike from Jesse Lingard to make it 3-0. The Man United man veers inside with close control before whipping the ball into the top corner with a brilliant curling effort. What a hit!
GOAL! ENGLAND 4-0 PANAMA (STONES 40)
It’s four! The Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo initially makes a great save from close range, but John Stones is on hand to head into the back of the net. It’s the centre back’s second goal of this half alone and this is turning into a rout.
PENALTY! Harry Kane is wrested to the ground by Anibal Godoy inside the box and England have another spot-kick.
Give it Stones #eng
— Mark Chapman (@markchapman) June 24, 2018
GOAL! ENGLAND 5-0 PANAMA (KANE 45)
This really is getting embarrassing for Panama now. Kane picks the same spot as before and fires the ball into the top right corner. It’s 5-0. It’s 5-0 and it’s not even half-time.
Probably would have taken a 5-0 half time lead beforehand. #ENG
— Danny Last (@DannyLast) June 24, 2018
HALF-TIME: ENGLAND 5-0 PANAMA
5 - This is only the fifth time in World Cup history that a team has scored 5+ goals in the first half of a match, with Germany vs Brazil in the 2014 semi-final the most recent occasion. Rout. #ENGPAN #ENG #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/dM69aHGaqh
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 24, 2018
That was a bit mad, wasn’t it? I mean, people said Panama actually had an outside chance at causing an upset here. John Stones is on a hat-trick. Did that half of football really happen?
To be fair, England have been immense. The quality of opposition clearly isn’t of the highest calibre but Gareth Southgate’s men have taken full advantage. Following a slightly nervous start, it’s been an almost-perfect 45 minutes.
Two Stones headers, two Harry Kane penalties and a worldie from Jesse Lingard. Could this go into double digits after the break?
Panama are very, very poor but they managed to make life a lot more difficult for Belgium for a half. England deserve some credit here for putting them away comprehensively here. They were getting some stick yesterday for how much more easily the Belgians seemed to beat Tunisia.
— emmet malone (@emmetmalone) June 24, 2018
SECOND-HALF: We’re back underway for another 45 minutes!
A chance for a sixth as Raheem Sterling latches onto an excellent through ball from Harry Kane, however goalkeeper Jaime Penedo manages to come from his line to close down the space and clear the danger at very the last second. A let-off.
It’s been plain sailing for the Three Lions so far this afternoon.
You couldn’t make it up — Big Sam watching the England game. With a Big Mac. On his own. In a pub.
Sam Allardyce watching England vs Panama in a pub, on his own, with a Big Mac he’s brought in with him, is just outstanding 🍔👏 #ENGPAN pic.twitter.com/D1GwwqLFxk
— Man On (@ManOnToday) June 24, 2018
It’s been a fairly tepid start to the second half. The result is a foregone conclusion at this stage and Panama are just out to save face, making it damaged limitations. With a group-deciding battle with Belgium to come next week, Gareth Southgate won’t want to push his side unnecessarily here.
GOAL! ENGLAND 6-0 PANAMA (KANE 62)
There we have it — Harry Kane completes his hat-trick in bizarre circumstances. Ruben Loftus-Cheek had the initial effort on goal from the edge of the box, the ball deflected off the Spurs striker before flying into the back of the net. It’s 6-0.
Kane becomes the third English player to score a hat-trick at a World Cup.
Three players have scored a #WorldCup hat-trick for England:
— Indy Football (@IndyFootball) June 24, 2018
🦁 Geoff Hurst (1966)
🦁 Gary Lineker (1990)
🦁 Harry Kane (2018) pic.twitter.com/ib3exQs8uU
Plenty of changes for England now as Jamie Vardy, Fabian Delph and Danny Rose come off the bench to see his game out. Containment football for the Three Lions now it seems, with a narrow six goal lead to protect.
Chance! Panama almost find a way back into this game but it’s wide. A corner crossed into the box flies towards the back post where Roman Torres was completely unmarked. The defender, however, could only smash his effort inches wide of the target. So close to cutting the deficit.
GOAL! ENGLAND 6-1 PANAMA (BALOY 78)
It’s there!!! Panama pull one back and have a first World Cup goal in their history. This is the nation’s first ever appearance at the finals and, even though beaten heavily here, their supporters celebrate Felipe Baloy’s strike wildly. And why not!
The midfielder got on the end of a dangerous cross into the area, stuck out a leg and saw the ball fly past Jordan Pickford. It’s 6-1!
⏱ 78’ | ¡¡¡GOOOOL DE PANAMÁ!!! ¡GOLAZO DE FELIPE BALOY !HISTÓRICO!
— FEPAFUT (@fepafut) June 24, 2018
#ENGPAN | 6-1 |
#PanamáEnRusia #Rusia2018 pic.twitter.com/P67uDlQGAg
A late chance for John Stones to grab his hat-trick. The ball dropped to the Man City defender within striking distance inside the box but the ball just got away from his toe before being gathered by Penedo.
There will be four minutes of stoppage time to come at the end of the second half.
IF this finishes 6-1 and IF England and Belgium draw on Thursday, then 1st/2nd in Group G will be decided on fair play record and finally -- if that's level - drawing of lots. If 2nd place more desirable, might be worth picking up a sneaky yellow card now ... #ENGPAN #ENG
— Oliver Kay (@OliverKayTimes) June 24, 2018
FULL-TIME: ENGLAND 6-1 PANAMA
What a win for the #ThreeLions – and we're through to the #WorldCup knockout stage with a game to spare! 👍 pic.twitter.com/4gv7HdfJh1
— England (@England) June 24, 2018
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