Mexico vs Panama
, KO: 00:30 Jul 17, 2023, SoFi Stadium
Mexico are targeting their ninth CONCACAF Gold Cup title as they battle Panama, who are seeking their first win. The Panamanians have shown they are no pushovers and can make things difficult for their rivals but the Mexicans have experience at this level which should give them the upper hand on Monday.
Mexico are into their 11th CONCACAF Gold Cup final after easing to a 3-0 victory over Jamaica. It was a comfortable outing for the Mexicans as they took an early lead through Henry Martin before Luis Chavez and Roberto Alvarado added further goals.
Mexico may have a fine record in the Gold Cup but were not among the early favourites following a string of poor outings in recent times. They crashed in the group stage of the Qatar 2022 World Cup and also suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat to USA un the semi-final of the Nations League.
The Mexicans appear to have put all of that behind them, suffering just one defeat in the Gold Cup – a 1-0 loss to Qatar in the final group game having already progressed to the knockout stage. Jamie Lozano’s men have looked a different side in the knockout phase, easing past Costa Rica and Jamaica without conceding a goal.
It has been an impressive campaign for Panama, who are playing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup for the first time in their history. They are yet to taste defeat in the competition and claimed some major scalps on their way to Monday’s clash.
Perhaps the biggest scalp on Panama’s table is USA as they overcame the defending champions on penalties in the semi-final. Ivan Anderson was on target as they played out a 1-1 draw after extra-time before running out 5-4 winners in the shootout.
Panama have a disappointing record in CONCACAF Gold Cup finals having reached the showpiece clash on two previous occasions. They are yet to claim a win in this fixture and are also without a single goal across both finals.
How the bookies view it
Mexico are considered overwhelming favourites among the bookies and priced at 8/13 by BetVictor to claim the win. A victory for Panama is valued at 11/2 by bet365 while William Hill is offering odds of 27/10 for a draw.
Recent head to head
Mexico have an 18-2 advantage with six draws from 26 previous matches against Panama. El Tri have also won six of the last seven meetings, including a 1-0 win at the CONCACAF Nations League in June while they also defeated the Panamanians 1-0 in the Gold Cup final back in 2003.
Players to watch
Henry Martin has two goals for Mexico in the Gold Cup, including the opener in the semi-final win over Jamaica. The striker could be worth keeping an eye on to find the net on Monday at 19/10 with William Hill.
Mexico’s defending has caught the eye in this competition with Cesar Montes and Johan Vazquez forming a solid centre-back partnership. Having led the team to clean sheets in the last two matches, a similar outcome could be on the cards at 20/23 with BoyleSports.
Anything else catch the eye?
Mexico have won to nil in their last two matches and having also claimed a similar result in four of the last five meetings with Panama, a repeat could be on the cards at 29/20 with BetVictor. Given the manner of their semi-final win over Jamaica, a -1 handicap can also be considered at 19/10 with BetVictor.
The Mexicans have a knack for early goals, scoring in the second minute against Jamaica and the fourth minute in the last meeting with Panama back in June. This means that a goal within the first 10 minutes could be worth considering at 4/1 with bet365.
This match between Mexico and Panama will be played on Jul 17, 2023 and kick off at 00:30. Check below for our tipsters best Mexico vs Panama prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
