Czech Republic vs Switzerland Prediction: The Swiss will not be frightened

Prediction for the Czech Republic vs Switzerland match which will take place on May 26th. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available. 

In recent years, the Czech national team has been somewhat of an outlier among the top teams. They have medalled once in the past decade, winning bronze at the 2022 World Championships. Now, they are playing in their home tournament, where they have attracted many high-profile hockey players. The Czechs already had a solid team in the group stage, and in the playoffs, they had the likes of Martin Necas, David Pastrňák, and Pavel Zacha. Even without them, Radim Rulik's men finished third in Group A, and the NHL stars were a big help in the playoffs. In the quarter-finals, the Czechs struggled to a 1:0 win over the Americans, but in the semi-finals, they beat the Swedes 7:3 with surprising ease.

The Swiss national team has followed a similar pattern at recent World Cups. The Crusaders traditionally start the tournaments well, finishing top of their group at the end of the group stage, only to be knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. This time, however, they did well in the first stage of the competition, finishing second in the incredibly competitive Group A. In the quarter-final, Patrick Fischer's wards were up against the Germans, who they had lost to twice in a row at this stage of the competition. This time, however, they managed to beat a formidable opponent 3:1. In the semi-finals, the Swiss beat the Canadians 2:0, lost the lead 2:2, and then won the shoot-out 3:2.

The Swiss national team has never won gold at the World Championship. The Crusaders have been to three finals in their history, but on all three occasions, they have failed, sometimes in the most humiliating ways. With the hosts of the 2024  World Championship waiting in the wings, it will be difficult for them to turn things around. The Lions made surprisingly easy work of the star-studded Swedes in the semi-finals, so the Swiss will not be intimidated. 

There has been little scoring in the Czech Republic and Switzerland meeting. In their five previous games, the rivals have combined to score just 18 goals (an average of 3.60 per game) - a very modest result. The rivals met in the group stage of the 2024 World  Championship, where the stakes were much lower, but even then, the Crusaders won 2:1 on penalties.