Finland vs Sweden Prediction: They Should Play Differently

Prediction for the IIHF World Championship Finland vs Sweden match which will take place on May 15th. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available. 

The Finnish national team has approached the next home World Championship as the main favorite of the tournament. In recent years, they have won almost all major competitions in which they participated, and where Finland did not become champion and got silver awards. Now Mikko Rantanen has also appeared in their lineup – such star players have not played for the national team for a long time. In the debut game at the 2023 World Cup, the wards of Jukka Jalonen suddenly became ashamed, having suffered an unexpected defeat from the US national team - 1:4. It seemed that the Finns would crush the contender in the battle with the Germans, but in fact, they got the victory with significant problems – 4:3.

The Swedish national team is another candidate for the highest places at the 2023 World Cup. Looking at the success of the Finns, Sweden has also begun to play a pragmatic and result-oriented game in recent years. The debut of the current world championship only confirms this. They played surprisingly carefully in the first meeting against the German national team, trying not to take risks in their area. Nevertheless, Oscar Lindberg's precise shot helped them win 1-0. In the second match, the Swedes again played zero with the Austrians, but this time they were more productive in attack – 5:0.

After three starting game days at the 2023 World Cup, the Finnish national team has only fifth place in the standings. They will have fewer status rivals next, but it's time to start correcting the situation after the game with the Swedes. Tre Kronor won the last three face-to-face games in the Euro Tour. However, at the home world championship, the wards of Jukka Jalonen should play differently. 

The national teams of Finland and Sweden have become very similar in recent years, playing pragmatic and defensive hockey. Nevertheless, they still often give out effective outcomes at the world championships. It is especially true for Finland, who had 32 goals in the previous five games, including the 2022 World Cup playoffs (6.40 on average per game) – a very significant result. Tre Kronor has not missed the 2023 World Cup yet, but they are unlikely to be able to play perfectly in defense for the third time.