Eisbären Berlin defeated Grizzly Wolfsburg 5-0 in the DEL on Thursday evening at the Mercedes-Benz Arena. The hosts moved within a point of the league leaders while keeping the visitors winless in their last two outings. The result extended Berlin's unbeaten run to five matches across all competitions.
Berlin had been expected to win, with our forecast giving the home side 59 per cent confidence. The prediction held true as the hosts controlled the tempo from the opening period and never allowed Wolfsburg to settle into any rhythm. It was a straightforward evening for the capital club.
The visitors had shown flashes of quality earlier in the campaign, winning four of six matches, but they looked disjointed against a Berlin side that changed shape at the break. Wolfsburg had lost 2-5 away at Augsburg just days before this fixture and the confidence seemed to have evaporated. One mistake ends it when you are playing against a team on this sort of run.
Berlin arrived with momentum after beating Salzburg 4-3 on Tuesday, adding to wins against Nürnberg, Frankfurt, and Iserlohn. Their recent form has seen them keep three clean sheets on the spin, though the 6-5 victory over Cologne showed they can also score freely when needed. The old head settled them down after the opening exchanges, and they gradually pulled away.
Wolfsburg's away record tells a different story. They lost 3-4 at home to Schwenningen and drew 3-2 with Bremerhaven, then followed that with a 4-3 win over Munich's Red Bulls. Since then, the decline has been steady. The incident went to review in their last match, but there was nothing controversial tonight — just a one-sided contest.
Both teams sit on zero penalty points in the standings, meaning the gap between them is measured in wins rather than points. Berlin's five victories put them two places above Wolfsburg, who have suffered two defeats at this stage. The score difference of five goals is telling — Berlin did not travel to make up the numbers tonight.
