German ice hockey team has to do without top strikers Reichel

That with the classics is a question of definition. When the national teams meet in football, games of German eleven against Italy or England are considered a classic. In ice hockey it is the duel with Switzerland. The rivalry is huge. In Switzerland, ice hockey is the number one sport in addition to alpine skiing. In Germany, the ice chopper spread in the shadow of overwhelming football. The German ice hockey league has even overtaken the Confederates in the recent past. Last season the Del With 7781 spectators on average past Switzerland (7365). The DEL grew by more than eight percent, in total in the past season (main round and play-offs) around 3.21 million people entered a DEL hall. The Cologne Haie-and not the legendary SC Bern holds the European record with an average of 17,889 visitors.

In terms of sport, both national teams act almost at eye level. In the ice hockey world rankings, the Confederates rank to eighth place as fifth just before the Deb. Swiss newspapers nevertheless like to describe the Germans as « fear opponents of the Nati ». This is also why the duel on Thursday at 4:20 p.m. (live in ProSieben and Magenta sport) Special explosive in Danish Herning.

German team convinces at the start of the World Cup

Harold Kreis, however, approaches the task emphatically. It is the fourth game in the tournament for the national coach. From a purely sporting point of view, his team can tackle the task with confidence. The World Cup start was as painted. However, it went against three easier opponents. The 6: 1 against Hungary and the 4: 1 against Kazakhstan followed a 5: 2 in an over -cross match against Norway. The victory left traces.

The Scandinavians ballerted their German opponents to the gang like flipper balls. The Team around captain Moritz Seider held against it physically. If a seasoned professional, by the way with some Switzerland experience, such as Marc Michaelis, addresses intensity, then it has gotten down to business. « That was one of the hardest games that I played at a World Cup so far. We scored the goals at the right time, » said the striker from Mannheim. Yasin Ehliz (2), Michaelis, Wojciech Stachowiak and Joshua Samanski scored 5-2 against Norway. Harold Kreis experienced some ice battles in his long career as a leg-hard defender and coach and analyzed sober: « I don’t have to collect the checks. Ice hockey is a contact sport, » said the national coach.

Lukas Reichel fails for the World Cup

However, Lukas Reichel fails after one of the many overnight checks of the Norwegians. The Chicago Blackhawks striker trudged into the cabin early with a damaged shoulder. The 22-year-old’s failure is a bitter loss. The former Berliner convinced in the three World Cup games with a goal and three templates. « It is very bitter for Lukas, he had a strong start to the tournament so far and has made a big contribution. Nevertheless, we have enough quality in team to be able to deal with such situations, » said Kreis.

Only strong opponents are now waiting for the German team. After the duel with Vice World Champion Switzerland, the USA and world champion followed Czech Republic. At the preliminary round, it goes against host Denmark.

What connects Germany and Switzerland: zero World Cup title

The World Cup schedule had a more difficult opening program for the Swiss. A 4: 5 defeat in the extension against the Czech Republic followed a 5: 2 against Denmark and a 3-0 against the USA. A year ago, Germany and Switzerland met in the World Cup quarter-finals. The Confederates prevailed 3-1. The team was only stopped by coach Patrick Fischer from the Czech Republic (0: 2) in the final and had to be content with the silver medal. The Germans were similar in Finland two years ago. In the quarter -finals of 2023 defeated The DEB selection the Confederates 3: 1. In the final, however, the Canadians prevailed 5-2.

In the ice hockey classic, the day form recently decided on victory or defeat. Both permanent rivals combine a great thing in common-the number of World Cup titles is zero. May the competition with Sweden, Canada, Finland or the Czech Republic also appear overwhelming. The opponents of Thursday have long earned the first world championship title. In the end, both only lacked the very last step.