Tip: Offensively weak Kazakhstan will have a hard time resisting Germany

On Thursday afternoon, Sweden will first face Kazakhstan in what is expected to be a one-sided affair. Kazakhstan is just above Poland in the relegation zone and knows that the match against Poland and the earlier match against France were key to staying in the top division.

Germany Finally Finds Its Stride

After a hesitant start to the championship, Germany truly found its form in their recent clash against Latvia, which they won 8-1. NHL player J.J. Peterka led the way with two goals in the decisive victory. Although Germany began the championship by defeating Slovakia, it was in a game where Slovakia almost handed the win to Germany due to numerous mistakes and weak goalkeeping. Subsequently, Germany had little to offer against the USA and Sweden, resulting in 6-1 losses.

Germany has now passed the difficult part of the group stage and won the crucial matches against Latvia and Slovakia, their primary competitors for playoff spots. Therefore, Germany should have no major issues securing the third or fourth spot for advancement. However, the work still needs to be done, and tomorrow they will face a lifeless Kazakhstan, who later today meets Sweden and is expected to take a serious beating. Germany has shown they have sharp finishers and can score goals, especially against weaker opposition, and it seems likely that a lifeless and probably quite exhausted Kazakhstan will struggle to withstand Germany, who are looking to secure three points in the final rounds to cement their playoff spot.

Kazakhstan Won the Key Match

For Kazakhstan, the World Championship adventure is primarily about staying in the top division. Before the championship, the key matches were against France and Poland. Now, Kazakhstan has already started the championship by defeating France and set themselves up well to keep Poland behind them.

The team is undergoing a generational shift, and it’s noticeable that previously important players like Curtis Valk and Viktor Svedberg are no longer in the Kazakh national team. Much revolves around the team’s star, Nikita Mikhailis, and veteran forward, Roman Starchenko. In the first three matches, Kazakhstan has scored a total of five goals. The team hardly offers a dazzling offense. Defensively, they can keep the numbers down against teams like France, Latvia, and Poland, but it became clear when they lost 6-2 to Slovakia that they will struggle against more offensively competent teams.

Betting Tips and Conclusion

With a match today against Sweden, I believe Kazakhstan will have a hard time resisting Germany’s skilled top players. It’s not just about the NHL players either. Leo Pföderl, Yasin Ehliz, and Marc Michaelis, along with many other players from the domestic league (DEL), have shown high proficiency and currently top the internal points league, so there’s also offensive depth behind Peterka and Sturm. I fully expect Germany to get the job done and secure a grip on a quarter-final spot!

Germany -2.5 @ -100 at bet365!