Graz 99 came from behind to beat Adler Mannheim 4-3 in a club friendly on August 16th. The result flipped the outcome from their meeting just three days earlier, when Mannheim had run out 5-1 winners. It was a straightforward affair without the drama of a late comeback, though the scoreline suggests both teams found the net regularly.
And here's the thing about these friendlies — they don't always tell you much about what's coming. But this one at least gave Graz 99 something to build on after that heavy defeat in Mannheim. To be fair, the visitors showed they could respond when it mattered.
Mannheim's recent run has been anything but consistent. They'd lost three of their last four before beating Graz 99 on August 13th, and those losses came at the hands of Eisbären Berlin. Four goals against Val Pusteria side suggests they can score, but conceding five in that same fixture is harder to explain.
Graz 99 had looked sharp in their previous outings. Four straight victories against Val Pusteria, with scores of 6-2, 5-2, 5-1 and 5-1. Then came the 1-5 hammering in Mannheim. By then, this 4-3 victory might have been the answer they needed to restore some confidence.
The friendly doesn't change any standings, but it does add a chapter to what's been an uneven exchange between these two clubs. Mannheim had the upper hand on August 13th. Now Graz 99 can claim they matched their opponents when it counted.