The German Men's national team is facing a real tough test: As part of the preparation for the 2025 World Cup, the team of national coach Harold Kreis will face the reigning World Champion Czech Republic (live and free on MagentaSport). The second game on Saturday is already sold out, but tickets are still available for the preseason kickoff on Thursday in the seating and standing areas.
The match against the technically strong and physically robust Czechs offers a valuable assessment of their position at the start of their World Cup preparations. Since last Monday, the national team has been preparing for the challenge at the "das.Stadtwerk.DonauArena."
Comments on the start of World Cup preparations and the opening match against the Czech Republic
National coach Harold Kreis"The team makes a very good impression. The guys all know each other well, even though they play against each other in the league. They quickly formed a unit, and their focus and attitude in training are excellent, even after a long season. Some are already familiar with our system in the national team; for others, it's new. We try to incorporate that in training and are now looking forward to seeing it in the matches against the Czech Republic. They're at a high level in terms of running, playmaking, and tactics. They like to use an aggressive forecheck. If that's not possible, they can also play a very disciplined defensively. Therefore, we want to be careful not to let their game be imposed on us, but rather actively shape the game from our own system."
striker Patrick Hager: "The first session on the ice was important to get us back into the swing of things, and now we've really stepped it up in training. The guys are working hard, we have good speed on the ice, and we want to improve as a team step by step. Ultimately, it's about us all getting into the right shape to have a chance of competing at the World Cup. International games are all about the structure of the game. You simply have much less time, and every mistake is exploited. If you play together as a group and focus on your role in the system, then you have a chance against any opponent in any preparation phase."
Debutant Elis Hede: "We're a cool group in the locker room, and it's a lot of fun to be there. The training intensity is very high. Playing against the Czech Republic will certainly be a big challenge in the opening game. I'm really looking forward to it and will, of course, try to score points with my strengths and bring a high pace to the ice. I'm trying not to worry too much and will see where it leads."
Ice hockey euphoria in the Czech Republic continues
At the 2024 Ice Hockey World Championship, host nation Czechia secured the title with a 2-0 final victory over Switzerland. After two scoreless periods, Bruins superstar David Pastrňák gave his team the lead in the 50th minute, and David Kämpf scored into an empty net shortly before the final whistle. The Czechs impressed throughout the tournament with strong defense and efficient scoring. For the Czech Republic, it was their first World Championship title since 2010 and their 13th World Championship gold medal overall. The tournament drew a record attendance of 797.727 spectators—a clear sign of the country's strong enthusiasm for ice hockey, which is now continuing at the Women's World Championship in České Budějovice.
The two teams last met in preparation for the 2024 World Cup
The last two encounters between the two teams date back to the 2024 World Cup preparations. In Karlovy Vary, they suffered two defeats against the eventual World Cup winners (0:3, 2:4). The last time the two teams met at a World Cup was in the quarterfinals of 2022 – the result from Germany's perspective was 1:4. In preparation for the aforementioned World Cup, the German team achieved its most recent victory against the Czech Republic. The final score was 2:0 for the Czech Republic. DEBThe selection was based on goals by Daniel Schmölz and Mirko Höfflin. The last international match in Regensburg in front of a sold-out crowd was in 2019 – also against the Czech Republic. Back then, the German team, featuring NHL star Leon Draisaitl, narrowly lost 2-3.
World Cup preparation of the German men’s national team:
10.04.2025/19/30 | XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. | Germany– Czech Republic (Regensburg)
12.04.2025/17/30 | XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. | Germany – Czech Republic (Regensburg)
Aug 16.04.2025, 18 | 00:XNUMX p.m. | Slovakia – Germany (Piestany)
Aug 17.04.2025, 18 | 00:XNUMX p.m. | Slovakia – Germany (Piestany)
Aug 24.04.2025, 19 | 00:XNUMX p.m. | Austria - Germany (Zell am See)
26.04.2025/17/00 | XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. | Germany – Austria (Rosenheim)
04.05.2025/17/00 | XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. | Germany – USA (Düsseldorf)
All World Cup preparation matches will be broadcast live and free of charge on MagentaSport transfer.