tadley

It will be disappointing if England don't score with their attacking talent. It's just a case of whether Croatia can as well. They do have some aging players, but they are still capable of scoring, with them banging in 26 from 8 games. They can score against better sides, as recent friendly goals against Brazil showed. England conceded against Japan and Uruguay in warm-ups, so I think both will score.

England didn't win many corners under Southgate, but it's a different story under Tuchel. They racked up the corners in qualifying, and in their four warm-up games won 11, 8, 11, and 7. Croatia should be competitive, so they should add to the tally, taking it over.

When playing non-African sides, Ghana's defensive shortcomings have been exposed, with no clean sheets in their six warm-up games. They also have key defenders out for this. Panama are an improving side that like to attack. I think they can score, but defending isn't their strength, so I think both teams will score.

Panama breezed through qualification, not losing any of their 10 games. They may be the outsiders in the group, but they are ranked 34th in the world, one place above Sweden and 39 places above Ghana. I think they will get something out of this.

Although not a guaranteed starter, Waterman looks Panama's most likely route to goal. He may not have elite skills, but he is a big physical presence who gets in the right places and has an eye for goal. Against a Ghana side that has been struggling for clean sheets and has key defenders out, I like his chances.

Uzbekistan aren't expected to score, but on the evidence of the tournament so far I wouldn't bet on that. We've already seen outsiders Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Curaçao and Qatar score, so why not Uzbekistan? They scored last time in a friendly with the Netherlands, so I think they can breach the Colombian defence.

Since switching to the LIV Tour, Smith's form has clearly deteriorated. There have been positive signs of late, though, with four top-10s from his last 12. That includes a recent 7th at the PGA Championship. I get the impression he relishes his chance to play in the PGA Tour majors, so I can see him going well.

Jacob Bridgeman missed the cut in his only start here but is better than that. Accurate approach play and putting are essential this weekend, and Bridgeman excels in both. His putting is elite, ranking 3rd for SG: Putting on the tour. If he can handle the difficult greens, he could figure it out this weekend.

Ryan Gerard is an elite driver, but his approach play and putting seem to have come on of late, making him of interest. He was second going into the final round at the Charles Schwab, but a poor final round dropped him to 10th. Last time out, though, at the Memorial he did even better, finishing second after a playoff. He's clearly in fine form, so can outperform his odds.

Wyndham Clark won in 2023, so obviously has the ability to go well here. He enters in fine form. He won the recent Bryan Nelson CJ Cup, was third at the Memorial, and last week was 2nd going into the last round, but a poor Sunday dropped him to 11th. He is one of the best putters around, which should stand him in good stead for around here.

Clare won in 2024, but last year it didn't go well. Severe injury problems probably took their toll. They look in better shape this time and can certainly mix it with the best.

Lancashire underperformed, finishing 5th despite having a strong squad. They've really impressed with signings over the winter, enrolling quality players at this level, so I see them doing a lot better than 5th.

Warwickshire finished down in 5th last season but were hampered by drawing nine games, the most in the league. They've strengthened their squad and look capable of a better performance this season.

Verstappen kept himself in the title race last season despite clearly not having the best car. That speaks volumes about his skill, which should see him once again go well this season. Despite him slamming the new regulation, it should be to his benefit as he has the skills to master the new designs. The Red Bull has looked very promising in practice, so I rate him as the most likely winner.