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Panama will square off against Mexico at the AT&T Stadium in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinal on Thursday.
Both teams will play for the first time in 2024. Panama concluded 2023 on a seven-game unbeaten run, recording six wins. They booked their place in the semi-final of the second edition in a row, with a commanding 6-1 win over Costa Rica on aggregate.
Mexico met Colombia in a friendly in December, suffering a 3-2 loss, as they gave away a two-goal lead. They met Honduras in the quarterfinal in November, with both teams registering 2-0 home wins. Mexico came out on top in the penalty shootout, recording a 4-2 win.
Both teams were semi-finalists last year, with Panama being eliminated 2-0 by Canada and Mexico losing 3-0 to eventual champions the USA. They met in the third-place playoff, with Mexico recording a 1-0 win.
Panama vs Mexico Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams have a long-standing rivalry and have crossed paths 42 times in all competitions. Mexico have been the dominant side in these meetings, with a 25-5 lead in wins and 12 games ending in draws.
- Mexico have seen a drop in form recently, with just two wins in their last seven games in all competitions. Interestingly, they have scored at least two goals in six games in that period. They have just two wins in their last five games in the Nations League.
- Panama are unbeaten in their last seven games in all competitions and have suffered just one loss in their last 13 games while recording 10 wins.
- Interestingly, their last two losses have both come against Mexico, suffering a 1-0 loss in the third-place playoffs in June and losing 1-0 in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final in July.
Panama vs Mexico Prediction
Los Canaleros head into the match on a four-game winning run, scoring 11 goals while conceding just twice. They have scored three goals apiece in four of their last six games and will look to build on their goalscoring form. Nonetheless, they are winless in their last 14 meetings against Mexico, suffering 11 losses, which is cause for concern.
Michael Murillo, Carlos Small, and César Yanis have been left out of the 23-man squad while goalkeeper Luis Mejía picked up an injury in Nacional's Libertadores meeting against Always Ready last week and is a doubt.
El Tri have just one win in their last four games in all competitions, suffering two losses. They have suffered two losses in their last four games in the Nations League as well, failing to score in these defeats.
Raúl Jiménez is a key absentee for the match, though regular starters Hirving Lozano and Guillermo Ochoa have found their place in the squad.
While Panama have been second-best in recent meetings against Mexico, considering their better form and goalscoring record in recent games, Panama are expected to eke out a win.
Prediction: Panama 2-1 Mexico
Panama vs Mexico Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Panama to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least a goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: José Fajardo to score or assist any time - Yes
