Croatia coach happy to get the job done but admits struggles against Panama

After a 4-2 defeat against England in their tournament opener, Croatia were under pressure to get a positive result against their North American opponents.

While they were under the cosh for large periods, Croatia found the winner when Ante Budimir found the back of the net from close-range in the second half.

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

"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."

Panama boss Tomas Christiansen praised his side's display even though they slipped to their second consecutive defeat in the World Cup following a loss to Ghana.

"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. Thatâ™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, Iâ™m proud of the boys."

READ MORE: Labuschagne says the team is confident ahead of Africa Cup title defence