Is RB München still to be stopped?
The Red Bulls are on course for the DEL title. After 28 match days, EHC RB München are still at the top of the table in the German Ice Hockey League and have already separated themselves from the competition. The Munich team has won 22 of a total of 28 encounters in the league.
Recently, RB München even celebrated ten wins in a row, including the clear victory in the showdown with Adler Mannheim. This week, the Munich team will play at home against the Kölner Haie. As expected, the best bookmakers see the hosts from Munich as favourites and offer odds of 1.50 for a bet on the Red Bulls on EHC RB München vs.
The last time the two clubs met in the DEL, RB Munich beat the Haie 3-2 to avenge their defeat in the 2022/23 season opener, while the Cologne side still managed to beat the leaders from Munich 6-3 on matchday one of the current season.
EHC RB München will now approach the match in front of their home crowd with a broad chest. Since January 2017, the Munich side have lost only one of their last ten league games at home against the Cologne Sharks – a good omen ahead of Wednesday’s clash?
RB Munich – Statistics & current form
Internationally, Munich had to cope with a bitter setback in the Champions League with the defeat against EV Zug. With an overall result of 2:10, the international adventure of the Red Bulls came to an end in the last 16 of the top division, and since then the focus has been solely on the national competition.
Head coach Jackson’s team has won six competitive games in a row since the last loss to EV Zug. Most recently, EHC RB München even beat Adler Mannheim 6:2. The Munich team thus not only underpinned its lead in the standings, but also extended its strong goal quota in the DEL 2022/23.
On average, EHC RB München scored 3.60 goals per league game – the best figure in the German Ice Hockey League. It is quite possible that the upcoming opponents from Cologne will also feel the offensive power of the Munich team.
Munich are a power at home
Jackson’s side have lost just two of their 13 league games at home so far. With an average of 2.54 points per home game, the Red Bulls are currently the strongest team at home in the DEL 2022/23, and they will be looking to improve on that statistic against the Kölner Haie.
EHC RB München won nine of the last ten home games against Cologne anyway. Only in the last home game did RB München leave the ice as losers. If a prediction on the host from Munich pays off in the EHC RB Munich vs. Cologne Sharks, odds of up to 1.50 will be paid out.
The Munich team will start the match on Wednesday evening with the best possible line-up. There are no serious personnel problems to complain about at the moment.
Cologne Sharks – statistics & current form
The Cologne Sharks have not won a single match in the DEL since their home win against Adler Mannheim at the DEL Wintergame 2022 outdoors. A defeat against Schwenningen (1:4) was followed by a bitter defeat at the hands of the Straubing Tigers. Cologne squandered a 2:0 lead and lost 3:2 in the end.
The next defeat now looms in Munich. The defensive performance in Wednesday’s game against the DEL leaders will be particularly important. After all, the upcoming opponents have the best offence in the league. Cologne, on the other hand, has one of the best defences in the DEL with only 72 goals conceded in 26 matchdays.
Only four other teams in the DEL have conceded fewer goals so far. All the more disappointing, therefore, were the performances on the last two matchdays, where Cologne conceded a total of seven goals.
Surprise the Sharks in Munich?
In the offensive end, Thuresson and Aubry are the big performers for the Sharks. Both players have 27 scorer points each. Thuresson scored 12 goals and set up 15 goals, while teammate Aubry scored eight goals and set up 19 goals.
The latter recorded three of his 27 scorer points in the first season duel with EHC RB Munich. Aubry was one of the best players on the ice in his team’s 6-3 win over the Red Bulls. But the Canadian disappointed in the last season duel with the Munich team and was far too harmless in the 2:3.
Just like Wednesday’s opponents from Munich, the Sharks are also spared from personnel worries and go into the upcoming league match with their best line-up. If the Cathedral City team pulls off a surprise coup, odds of 5.00 are paid out for tip 2 on EHC RB München vs.
RB Munich vs Cologne Sharks Direct Comparison / H2H-Balance
The Red Bulls from Munich and the Sharks from Cologne meet for the 61st time overall. RB Munich have won 39 of the 60 encounters so far. Cologne, on the other hand, have been victorious 21 times. In the 60 matches between the two clubs, an average of 5.50 goals per game has been scored. A high-scoring encounter cannot be ruled out this time either.
Wednesday’s match will already be the third duel of the season between the two clubs. The Cologne Sharks won the first match of the season 6:3, but lost the second league match against the Munich team 2:3.
RB Munich – Cologne Sharks Tip
If the Munich team’s recent form curve is anything to go by, the clear favourite role in Wednesday’s match against the Cologne Sharks is quite understandable. After all, the Red Bulls have won the last ten league games in a row and are therefore brimming with self-confidence. However, RB Munich already felt that the Sharks are not to be underestimated at the start of the season.
Cologne won the first match of the season 6:3. On the other hand, they suffered a 3-2 defeat in their second meeting with Munich just under a month ago. It is quite possible that the next defeat against the Red Bulls will follow. Cologne have lost nine of their last ten matches against RB Munich anyway.
Tendencially, we therefore think it is obvious to make a prediction on a home win for the Munich team this time as well. For EHC RB München vs. Kölner Haie, betting odds of 1.50 are currently offered for tip 1. We are using six out of ten possible units for this bet.
