Red Bull Munich saw off Adler Mannheim 4-3 in their DEL opener on Thursday evening. The result leaves both clubs on zero points after one match apiece in an otherwise empty table. By then, the home side had already established a reputation for high-scoring affairs.
Munich came into this fixture with recent form that suggested they would find the net. They had beaten Kaufbeuren 5-3 and Loughborough 4-2 in the weeks before, while also suffering narrow defeats to Val Pusteria and Salzburg. Mannheim, meanwhile, had won four of their last five outings, including a 4-3 victory over Fribourg-Gottéron just days earlier.
The final scoreline tells only part of the story. A four-goal win is one thing, but four goals conceded alongside them suggests a game that refused to go away from either side. To be fair, both teams pressed high up the pitch and left themselves exposed at times. The result confirms what we had called beforehand — a home victory, though the margin was narrower than the 51 per cent confidence level might have suggested.
What stands out is how both clubs have approached this new season. Munich's recent record shows they can score freely but also concede in return. Mannheim's form has been similarly open-ended, with wins and losses coming in quick succession. Cup football has its own rules, but this was league action where points matter from the outset.
Neither side can claim dominance after a single match. The table remains featureless — zero games played, zero points for both. What we have is a snapshot of two teams finding their rhythm in unfamiliar territory. The next outing will tell us more about whether this was a one-off or a pattern emerging.
