Sweden v Czech Republic live stream, Thursday 24 March, 7.45pm GMT
Sweden and Czech Republic will go head-to-head on Thursday for a place in the final of the World Cup qualification play-offs.
After suffering elimination by Ukraine in the last 16 of Euro 2020, Sweden bounced back to reach the play-offs by finishing second in Group B. Spain took top spot fairly comfortably despite a 2-1 defeat by the runners-up in Solna, while Sweden finished five points clear of Greece even after losing their final two qualifiers to Georgia and Spain.
Janne Andersson, who has been in charge of his country since 2016 and is now the fifth longest-serving international manager in Europe, will be looking to guide Sweden to their 13th World Cup. A run to the quarter-finals in Russia was a good achievement, but Sweden must win their next two matches to make it to Qatar, with Poland awaiting the winners of this semi-final after Russia were expelled.
Czech Republic reached the quarter-finals of last summer’s European Championship before bowing out to Denmark. They only managed a third-place finish in their qualification group, with Belgium finishing first and Wales edging them out in the race for second. Czech Republic have instead advanced to the play-offs by virtue of their performance in the 2020/21 Nations League, where they won their group ahead of Scotland, Israel and Slovakia.
Manchester United forward Anthony Elanga has been rewarded for his impressive recent form at club level with a maiden call-up to the senior Sweden squad. Sweden will have to make do without Zlatan Ibrahimovic due to suspension, however, but the veteran striker will be eligible if Sweden reach the final.
Czech Republic have been dealt a major blow with news that Patrik Schick, the top goalscorer at Euro 2020, will miss Thursday’s game through injury. Jiri Pavlenka, Adam Hlozek, Petr Sevcik, Ondrej Kudela and Ondrej Celustka are also unavailable.
Kick-off is at 7.45pm GMT on Thursday 24 March, and UK viewers can watch it on Sky Sports. See below for international broadcast options.
VPN guide
Use a VPN to watch World Cup qualifiers from outside your country
If you’re out of the country for a round of fixtures, then annoyingly your domestic on-demand services won’t work – the broadcaster knows where you are because of your IP address (boo!). You'll be blocked from watching it, which is not ideal if you’ve paid up for a subscription and still want to catch Steve Bruce’s extra-red face without resorting to illegal feeds you’ve found on Reddit.
But assistance is on hand. To get around that, all you have to do is get a Virtual Private Network (VPN), assuming it complies with your broadcaster’s T&Cs. A VPN creates a private connection between your device and t'internet, meaning the service can’t work out where you are and won't automatically block the service you've paid for. All the info going between is entirely encrypted – and that's a result.
There are plenty of good-value options out there, including:
UK TV rights
How to watch Premier League live streams for UK subscribers
Sky Sports and BT Sport are the two main players once again, but Amazon also have a slice of the pie in 2021/22.
US TV rights
How to watch Premier League live streams for US subscribers
NBC Sports Group are the Premier League rights holders, with the Peacock Premium streaming platform showing even more than the 175 games it aired last season, with other matches split between NBCSN channel, CNBC and the over-the-air NBC broadcast channel. If you pick up a fuboTV subscription for the games not on Peacock Premium, you'll be able to watch every game.
Head back to our VPN advice so you can take advantage when you're out of the country.
Canada TV rights
How to watch Premier League live streams for Canadian subscribers
DAZN subscribers can watch every single Premier League game in 2021/22 – and it gets better. After a one-month free trial, you'll only have to pay a rolling $20-a-month fee, or make it an annual subscription of $150.
The broadcaster also has all the rights to Champions League and Europa League games in Canada, too.
Want in while you're out of Canada? Scroll back up and check out the VPN offers above.
Australia TV rights
How to watch Premier League live streams for Australian subscribers
Optus Sport are offering every game of the Premier League season for just $14.99/month for non-subscribers, which you can get via a Fetch TV box and other friendly streaming devices.
To take advantage while you're not Down Under, follow the VPN advice towards the top of this page.
New Zealand TV rights
How to watch a Premier League live stream for New Zealand subscribers
Spark Sport are serving up all 380 games – plus various highlights and magazine shows throughout the week, as well as the Champions League – for $24.99 a month, after a seven-day free trial.
It's also available via web browsers, Apple/Android devices, Google Chromecast and some Samsung TVs, and Apple TV and Smart TV compatibility new for this season.
Check out our VPN deals to watch when you’re not in New Zealand.
