Moment of quality defines game
Croatia were not all that great in the first half, as their head coach Zlatko Dalic mentioned in the post-match press conference. After all, they only mustered two shots in the opening 45 minutes.
But Dalic did not panic. Having made the most of the chance to speak with his team, Kockasti got to work in the second half and, thanks to a great cross from Josip Stanisic to pick out Ante Bukimir, the third-place finishers from 2018 were able to find the breakthrough.
It was the defining moment of the match as the teams largely cancelled each other out otherwise. For any team to have success in the World Cup, they have to count on those instances where just one move, one combination, can tear an opponent apart.
In a match where Croatia were not at their best, they were still able to rely on that single moment, which proved to differentiate the two.
Panama continue to struggle creating
As was the case in their first match, Panama brought hard work, some decent football, and energy. They showed the ability to cause their opposition fits, something they did in the first half with the movement on both wings.
Croatia were carved out on a few occasions in the opening half as the Panamanian wingers and wing backs combined well to create the necessary space. However, when it came down to the chances, they once again could not convert the attacking play into goals.
Los Canaleros have twice learned the hard way when it comes to creating scoring opportunities, and as a result, their second World Cup journey will end after their next match.
While it was certainly disappointing from their perspective, it is a difficult lesson to learn at this level.
Good teams will find a way through, as Croatia did. While Panama have certainly improved the level of their football over the last few years, there is much work for Thomas Christiansen and his side to do in the attacking third.
Croatian experience becomes crucial
The other thing about Croatia, why they were able to get over the line, was their experience. Having taken the lead in the 54th minute, Dalic's men held firm for the final 35 minutes plus stoppage time to prevail.
In those 35 minutes plus, they received just one yellow card. Outside of a brilliant Dominik Livakovic save, they were rarely threatened. Yes, as previously noted, Panama did not do enough to hurt them. But part of that still has to go down to the way the Croats defended resolutely.
There were even more chances for Croatia to go in front. A one-on-one chance was spurned, and several potential counter-attacking opportunities were also not properly dealt with. Against better teams - evidently with England in their first game - this will not be enough.
Overall, the older squad got the job done, and wiser heads helped in keeping them in control of the match, but they will need to do more in their next game against Ghana to be sure of their spot in the round of 32.