There's something quietly revealing about a team sitting tenth in DEL2 playing host to a club that's mid-table on paper but somehow thirteen points ahead. Landshut hasn't been dominant this season, but they've found ways to bank points even when they don't deserve them. Weiden, meanwhile, keeps losing games they probably should've at least gotten overtime out of. That's the kind of grind that defines this league in January.
Weiden just lost 3-2 to Bad Nauheim on Thursday—a game they led twice—and it's becoming a pattern. They push early, lose structure late, and end up with nothing. Before that, they put four past Kaufbeuren, which looked promising until you realize Kaufbeuren is dead last and barely resisting at this point. The home rink hasn't been especially forgiving either—they've dropped three straight there, including a shutout loss to Krefeld. What stands out to me is how often they generate chances but can't find the timely save or the lucky bounce. Their forecheck can be aggressive, but when it doesn't produce within the first thirty minutes, they start chasing and the gaps open up. Depth scoring has been inconsistent, and goaltending feels like a coin flip most nights.
Landshut isn't lighting up the scoreboard on the road, but they've been scrappy and opportunistic away from home. They're capable of sitting back, absorbing pressure, and hitting on the counter when opponents overcommit. In their last meeting here in November, they gave up three goals and lost in regulation, but before that they grabbed a 4-2 win in Weiden back in October. Frankly, it's hard to ignore that Landshut has won four of the last five head-to-head matchups overall. They don't dominate possession, but they capitalize on turnovers and special teams mistakes. Their goaltending has been solid enough to keep them in tight games, and that matters more than their middling offense suggests.
The tactical clash here is straightforward: if Weiden can't convert early and build a cushion, Landshut will happily sit on their structure and wait for the home side to crack. Weiden's aggressive play style works when they're ahead; it becomes a liability when they're trailing and forcing plays that aren't there. Landshut thrives in those messy, fragmented games where discipline wins over creativity.
This feels like a narrow-edge situation. Landshut has the recent history, the road savvy, and the kind of calm execution that Weiden has been missing. Weiden could steal it if their goalie shows up and they finish their chances, but that's been the problem—they haven't. I'd lean slightly toward the visitors finding a way to grind out two points, even if it's ugly.
Match Odds 1. EV Weiden – Landshut Cannibals
Leon's odds are 2.9 on 1. EV Weiden winning on their territory.
At this moment our odds are equal to 2.09 on Landshut Cannibals visiting team's winning.
Draw odds are 4.25.
