HSG Graz started their HLA season with a 35:32 win against UHK Krems on Friday evening. The match took place at the Graz arena on 5 September 2026. The hosts took three points from the opening round.
The game produced six goals in the final ten minutes and finished with the home side holding on. Graz scored 35 goals while Krems replied with 32. The result was decided in the closing stages when the hosts put the game to bed.
Both teams entered the match with zero points in the table — this is the first round of the season so there is nothing meaningful to read into the standings yet. What matters is that Graz took the win and Krems came away empty-handed.
Graz have shown mixed results in recent fixtures. They beat Medjimurje 30:27 in August but lost to Bregenz 29:33 in May. Krems lost to FC Vöslauer 31:35 in their last competitive match in late August.
We had given an away win for Krems with 51 per cent confidence. That prediction came back wrong. Graz played with more urgency than expected and Krems simply could not match that tempo.
The 35:32 scoreline tells the story — Graz found a rhythm they had not shown all season and Krems never got going. The home side ground out the win and will take confidence from that. Krems now know they must improve quickly if they want to survive in this league.