Europe -> HCL

Tuesday we can look forward to Champions League matches again, where HV 71 hosts Sparta Prague, but this time it is not the competition organized by UEFA, but Hockey Champions League. Today it offers 7 second leg matches and we will take a look at a game played in Sweden. Game 1 at the O2 Arena was won by the Swedes 4:2 and they are already halfway in the quarterfinals. Now we will take a closer look at today’s opponents.

HV 71

Home team is one of four HCL participants from Sweden. In the domestic league HV 71 is currently in 5th place. Hockey in Sweden is a highly popular sport and the HCL attracts fans much more than in the Czech Republic. The attendance at HCL games by far surpasses attendance in Czech Republic. The home team squad has players such as: : Martin Thornberg, Mattias Tedenby or Erik Christensen. HV 71’s netminder is the twenty five year old Fredrik Pettersson-Wentzel, who is looking to make the national team.

HC Sparta Praha

One of three Czech teams, which has the worst starting position going onto leg 2. In the domestic league Sparta is in 7th place and it is obvious that the Hockey Champions League is not at the top of the team’s priorities list and the main objective going into tonight is to play the game with dignity rather than advance. The main focus of the team from Prague is the Tipsport Extraliga, where the form of Kometa Brno or Třinec will make it very difficult to place at the top.

All in all Sparta did fulfill its objective by advancing from the group stage. Now it is time to play hard in the Extraliga, which at this point is more prestigious to Sparta than the HCL. It is even possible that some of Sparta’a top players will sit this one out and players from 3rd and 4th lone will get more ice time. This is why we see value in the odds 1.65 and we will gladly take the chance here.

Jan E – verified

Tip: 1

Odds: 1.67