Uruguay vs Panama Prediction and Betting Tips: Bielsa's boys backed for big win

Marcelo Bielsa leads Uruguay out in a Copa America game for the first time when they tackle Panama in Florida in the early hours of Monday morning (kick-off 2.00am BST).

The Hard Rock Stadium in Miami will host the Group C contest, with these sides set to follow group rivals Bolivia and the United States, who meet in Texas a few hours earlier, as the 2024 tournament gets into full swing.

Uruguay are amongst the favourites in the betting to win the Copa America, behind only Argentina and Brazil in the pre-tournament market, and they'll be eager to make the most of this opportunity to start well against a side ranked 29 spots below them in the FIFA rankings.

For Uruguay, group stage errors are unwelcome. They'll follow this contest with a game against Bolivia on June 27th and then the USA on July 1st.

Bielsa and his squad will know the importance of taking top spot, with the winner of this group set to face the runners-up from Brazil's section in the last-eight.

Under former Leeds United boss Bielsa, La Celeste have been attempting to overhaul a squad that looked dated at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Old stagers have moved on, with Luis Suarez now the elder statesman at 37. In their stead, the likes of Liverpool's Darwin Nunez, Real Madrid's Federico Valverde, Paris St-Germain's Manuel Ugarte and Barcelona's Ronald Araujo are stepping up.

They failed to win a couple of spring friendly games in Europe, but arrive into this clash buoyed by a 4-0 demolition of Mexico in Denver as they completed preparations for the Copa America. The 15-time winners are clear favourites to win Group C.

Panama are under the tutelage of Danish-born boss Thomas Christiansen, another former Leeds manager, and he's closing in on four years in the job, with an admirable win-ratio of 49 per-cent.

They won successive CONCACAF World Cup qualifying games recently, but did so against opponents ranked outside the top 150 in the world.

Uruguay warmed up for this Copa opener by putting four goals past Mexico in Denver this month.

That should leave them in a good state of mind for an opening game that sets up well. Veteran forward Suarez may be used more sparingly in this tournament, particularly early on, but remains a key part of the squad.

Rodrigo Bentancur of Tottenham and PSG's Ugarte are likely starters alongside Valverde and that should give them a strong midfield platform to dominate inferior opposition at the Hard Rock Stadium.

Panama's two recent wins were gained against Guyana and Montserrat, teams ranked 153rd and 176th in the latest FIFA rankings. For them, this is a sharp rise in class against a team very capable of going deep and that gulf in class should show.

Liverpool striker Nunez helped himself to a treble in the win over Mexico and that should leave him primed for action.

He improved in his second season at Anfield, netting double figures in the Premier League for the Reds, and while he still seems to need plenty chances before hitting the net, he should get those opportunities in this game and can start his tournament in goalscoring fashion to improve on record of 11 goals in 23 caps for his country.