Memmingen took down Dresdner Eislowen 4:3 in the opening round of the DEL2 on Saturday, a result that saw the home side claim all three points from their first outing. The match finished with a late flurry that kept the visitors guessing and the home crowd on edge until the final whistle. And here's the thing — it wasn't the kind of game where one side dominated from the off.
Memmingen struck first and then had to dig deep when Dresdner pulled one back, before finding a winner to seal the win. The away side kept pressing and got a late consolation but couldn't find the equaliser they needed. By then the momentum had shifted, and Memmingen held on to ground out the win.
We had backed the visitors to come away with something — 79 per cent confidence in an away victory — but this match didn't follow that script. Dresdner started well enough but switched off at the back when it mattered most, and Memmingen made the difference in the key moments. The prediction didn't come off, and that's football for you.
In the table Memmingen sit seventh after one game, while Dresdner find themselves in fourteenth place after the defeat. Both sides have played once and taken zero points so far, though the gap in results already tells a story. The home side's recent form has been anything but quiet — five straight matches with double-digit goals between them.
For Dresdner the loss ends what looked like a promising run coming into the season, with four wins and only one defeat in their last five outings. They'll need to regroup quickly if they want to climb away from the bottom half. The season is just beginning, and this match may well prove to be a turning point for both clubs.
