Preview: Panama vs Curacao - prediction, team news, lineups

The first semi-finalist in this season’s CONCACAF Nations League will be decided on Sunday, when Panama host Curacao in the second leg of that tie at Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City.

It is all to play for this weekend after these teams drew 0-0 at Ergilio Hato Stadium in Willemstad on Thursday evening.

Match preview

It was another match full of missed opportunities for Panama on Thursday, who are now without a normal time win in eight successive internationals.

Over that stretch, they have netted a goal or fewer in each game but have not conceded more than one in their last four outings.

Thomas Christiansen’s men have won two of their last three internationals at Estadio Rommel Fernandez and have not lost a Nations League outing at that venue this decade.

This is the first time they go into the second leg of a Nations League quarter-final tie without an advantage, but the Panamanians have never lost at home in this phase of the competition.

Panama have also not lost to a Caribbean side since Jamaica beat them 1-0 in the 2024 Nations League third-place match.

Sunday will mark the second time they welcome Curacao to Panama, with Los Canaleros previously beating them on home soil, 2-1 in 2021.

At times it looked like they were holding on, but to their credit Curacao managed to pull out a result in the opening leg.

That extended their unbeaten run in the Nations League to 10 matches dating back to their promotional campaign in League B in 2024-25.

On Sunday, they can win their first-ever knockout match in this tournament and reach the semi-finals of a CONCACAF competition for the first time since capturing the 2017 Caribbean Cup.

Meanwhile, Dick Advocaat’s team can extend their unbeaten run versus CONCACAF opposition to 13 matches this weekend, with their last defeat against their own region occurring in the 2025 Gold Cup (a 2-1 loss to Honduras).

Curacao boast a 100% record in this competition when netting the opening goal, winning two of their three group matches in that scenario this season.

The Blue Wave have never lost a Nations League match on Central American soil, including a 4-3 comeback win at Costa Rica in this season’s group phase.

Panama CONCACAF Nations League form:

Panama form (all competitions):

Curacao CONCACAF Nations League form:

Curacao form (all competitions):

Team News

On the Panama side, Manuel Moran is still seeking his first caps after being an unused substitute on Thursday, while Cesar Blackman returned to the pitch, coming on for Jorge Gutierrez.

Orlando Mosquera was back between the sticks in the opening leg of this tie after Eddie Roberts got the call in their last friendly versus Ecuador.

At Curacao, we saw four new faces in their starting 11 this week who did not begin their match versus Trinidad and Tobago, including Armando Obispo, Joshua Brenet, Tahith Chong and Ar’jany Martha.

Eloy Room and Leandro Bacuna remain tied for first in all-time caps with the national team as the former collected his second clean sheet of the competition this season.

Panama possible starting lineup:

Mosquera; Murillo, Cordoba, Andrade, Gutierrez; Harvey, Griffith; Carrasquilla, Barcenas, Diaz; Vergara

Curacao possible starting lineup:

Room; Sambo, Gaari, Obispo, Carolina; Comenencia, L. Bacuna; Brenet, Margaritha, Gorre; J. Bacuna

We say: Panama 0-0 Curacao (Curacao advances on penalties)

While we expect Panama to have the bulk of possession again, they seem to lack that decisive touch in the attacking third, and we believe an in-form Curacao side will hold their nerve in the big moments on Sunday.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.