Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic admitted he was surprised by how much his side struggled in their win over Panama on Tuesday.

Croatia defeated Panama 1-0 at Toronto Stadium thanks to Ante Budimir's second-half strike, boosting their chances of qualifying for the World Cup's round of 32.

It marked Croatia's first win of the tournament; in six of their seven participations in the competition, they have recorded at least one win in the group stage, 2006 being the only time they failed to do so (D2 L1).

It was also Croatia’s third win in five matches against CONCACAF opposition at the World Cup (L2), but the first time they had kept a clean sheet against those opponents.

Although Croatia won the expected goals (xG) battle (1.65 to 0.55), Panama recorded more shots (eight to six) and touches in the opposition box (19 to 15).

"I didn't expect that it was going to be such a difficult match, to be quite honest," said Dalic. 

"We didn't react the best, and perhaps it could be due to the pressure, because we really needed to get these three points to move on to the second stage.

"I am not the happiest with our play, to be honest, especially in the first half. And we didn't manage to overcome this initially, this is why I was a little bit angry, and I reacted to this.

"But I will forget this, and now focus on what awaits us."

Due to head-to-head records now taking precedence over goal difference in the group stage, Panama have been knocked out of the competition with a game still to play.

Panama are the sixth team, and the fifth from CONCACAF, to lose their first five matches in the tournament’s history, after Mexico in 1950, El Salvador in 1982, Canada in 2022, and Haiti and Iraq in 2026.

Nevertheless, Panama boss Tomas Christiansen praised his side's display.

"We played well. We fought until the end, staying true to our identity and the only thing I can say is that I am proud of my players," said Christiansen.

"They played a great game, we went toe-to-toe with Croatia. That’s just how football goes. They had one clear chance and scored it.

"The truth is that they did not create too much danger against us. I think we were brave in this match and, once again, I’m proud of the boys."