Adam Williams presents his prediction for the IIHF World Championship match.
The Swedish fans are eagerly anticipating the second fixture on the opening day of the IIHF World Championship, as the hosts take on Slovakia.
Sweden
Last year, Sweden enjoyed a relatively successful tournament after four consecutive quarter-final eliminations, securing the bronze medal. However, with this year's competition taking place on home ice, anything less than gold will fall short of expectations. Now in his third year at the helm, Sam Hallam will guide his squad into their opener against Slovakia—a team they convincingly beat 6:1 at the previous World Championship.
Slovakia
That 6:1 result remains the heaviest defeat suffered by Slovakia across their last five meetings with Sweden. At the 2024 tournament, Slovakia finished fourth in their group and were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Canada (3:6). In preparation for this year’s Championship, Slovakia played eight warm-up matches. Their only victories came against France, considered a lower-tier side, and Germany, who also managed to beat them once.
Sweden vs Slovakia Prediction
A defeat for Slovakia seems almost certain, though the margin may not be as wide as in their last encounter. Still, the hosts are expected to come out on top by at least three goals.
