England could drop to third place with upset loss to Panama

  /  autty

At 5:00 AM Beijing time on June 28, England will face Panama in the third round of the FIFA World Cup group stage. Currently, England sits first in Group G with 1 win, 1 draw, and 4 points. What must England do in their final group match to secure top spot? Let's break it down.

If England wins

If England defeats Panama, the Three Lions will be in a strong position to top the group, but victory does not guarantee first place.

Ghana could still overtake them. If England narrowly beats Panama by one goal but Ghana thrashes Croatia by three goals, Ghana would finish first on goal difference. England's win alone is not enough to clinch the group.

If England draws

If England and Panama draw, England will secure at least a top-two finish and a place in the knockout stage. However, they could lose top spot.

If Ghana defeats Croatia while England draws with Panama, Ghana would top the group and England would finish second. Croatia, who beat Panama earlier with 3 points, would finish third in this scenario.

If England loses

If England loses to Panama, they will lose any chance of topping Group G and could finish as low as third place.

In the worst-case scenario, if England loses heavily to Panama and Croatia defeats Ghana, England could drop to third place depending on goal difference. For England to fall to third, their losing margin would need to be large enough that their goal difference falls below Ghana's.

AF's PC site is now live! Browse full news, comments, match details and stats on your computer. Visit: www.allfootballapp.com

Related: Croatia England Ghana Panama FIFA World Cup
Latest comments
Download All Football for more comments