Sweden vs Czech Republic Prediction Tips

On Saturday, May 25, the semifinal matches of the Ice Hockey World Championship will be held. In the first game, Sweden will go up against the hosts of the tournament, the Czech Republic. The match will start at 14:20 Central European Time, and experts from 24hscore have prepared a forecast for this matchup.

Ice hockey live scores – check the schedule and view the results.

Sweden

Tre Kronor impressively navigated the group stage of the tournament, securing a perfect 21 points from seven matches and advancing from first place in Group B. Notably, Sweden is the only team to have achieved the maximum points tally. Additionally, they are the only team in the tournament that hasn’t conceded a single power-play goal, successfully defending 17 opportunities.

In the quarterfinals, Sweden faced Finland. Despite Finland finishing fourth in their group, the match proved to be very challenging for the Swedes. The Finns defended exceptionally well, limiting Sweden’s attacking opportunities. Over two periods, Tre Kronor managed 24 shots on goal, while Finland had only eight. Near the end of the game, Sweden finally scored, but conceded a goal 58 seconds before the end, pushing the match into overtime. In the extra period, Finland made a crucial mistake by taking a penalty, allowing Sweden to capitalize on the power play and advance to the semifinals.

Czech Republic

The Czech team struggled against most of their direct competitors in their group. They managed to defeat Finland 1-0 in their opening match but subsequently lost to Switzerland and Canada. Thus, they finished third in the group and faced a formidable opponent in the quarterfinals – the USA. Before the playoffs, the Czech team was bolstered by two NHL players, Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak, whose Boston team was eliminated in the second round, allowing them to join the national team.

The match against the Americans was tense but highly engaging. Both teams displayed high-quality hockey, particularly the goaltenders. The Czech Republic boasts one of the tournament’s best power-play success rates, which proved decisive. They scored the only goal seven minutes into the second period during a 5-on-4 power play. The Czechs played energetically and reliably, and even when they gave the Americans space, goaltender Dostal came to the rescue. The Czech Republic managed to stifle the tournament’s best offense and advanced to the semifinals with a 1-0 victory.

Interesting Facts and Head-to-Head

Sweden and the Czech Republic faced off before the start of the World Championship, with Sweden winning 2-0.
Sweden has won in regulation time in 7 of their last 8 matches.
The Czech Republic has not lost in regulation time in their last 8 matches.
23 of the last 25 matches involving Sweden and the Czech Republic did not end in a regulation time draw.
In 24 of the last 25 matches featuring Sweden and the Czech Republic, both teams have scored.
Sweden has conceded to the Czech Republic in 25 consecutive matches.
Sweden has scored against the Czech Republic in 24 of the last 25 matches.

Sweden vs Czech Republic Prediction

Reaching the semifinals of the World Championship is a significant achievement for both teams. Sweden arrived as one of the main favorites and has demonstrated this through their play, combining offensive flair with pragmatic tactics when necessary. The Czech Republic, as the tournament host, has strengthened their squad with two stellar forwards from Boston.

The match will be incredibly challenging for both teams. The Czech Republic has the home advantage, promising an electrifying atmosphere. Sweden is the favorite, but betting on their victory is risky, as the Czech Republic has already pulled off one upset and is certainly capable of another.

My prediction is for the total match score to be under 4.5 goals with odds of 1.92.