Köln hosted Grizzly Wolfsburg in the DEL on Thursday evening, but the hosts were thoroughly outplayed in a 4:8 victory for the visitors. We had backed the home side at 61 per cent confidence, but the match went a very different way — Wolfsburg simply outscored them in every department. The result leaves both sides level on zero points after one game, though the table itself tells us little at this stage of the season.
Köln arrived carrying momentum from their recent run: five wins in their last five outings, including a 3:1 victory over Klagenfurt on Wednesday and a 5:2 win against Frölunda ten days earlier. They looked comfortable in those fixtures, but nothing prepared them for what Wolfsburg brought to the rink. The visitors had been less consistent, with a 4:3 win over Nürnberg and a narrow 3:4 defeat to Kassel in their two most recent games.
There is nothing to dissect minute by minute — no scorers to name, no moments to replay. What you see is the scoreboard and the fact that Köln gave away goals at will. By then, any tactical discussion felt academic; this was a game where the visitors threw everything at it and the home defence simply couldn't handle the volume. The high line was picked apart, and Köln were left flat-footed for long stretches.
Wolfsburg's recent form showed vulnerability — a 2:4 loss to Dresden and a 0:1 defeat to Iserlohn were mixed signals — but they arrived with intent. Köln's five-match winning streak meant they expected to control proceedings, and instead they were outclassed. The draw brought them together early in the season, but this was anything but a friendly encounter.
The final score sits at 4:8, a result that leaves both teams level on points but changes the perception of the opening round. Wolfsburg have proven they can compete with anyone, while Köln's confidence may need some time to recover. The table says nothing yet — one game, zero points each — but the message from Thursday is clear enough.
