Less than 48 hours after the nerve-wracking victory in the Champions League against FC Barcelona (22-21), the team lacked the necessary strength and concentration to secure a must-win in the Bundesliga against HC Erlangen.
After an intense game in Nuremberg, the match ended in a draw, 31-31 (111-6), as the reigning Champions League winners suffered a completely unexpected setback against a team that fielded several young players, with a number of their regulars ruled out by injury.
"We imagined it would be different," said Lukas Mertens on Dyn, praising the opponents, who had earned a point in a tactically clever manner, especially in the first half." We also know the situation: When so many players are injured, it brings you closer together. Erlangen made the best of it and unfortunately we lost the point today," said Mertens.
Wiegert also paid his opponents a "big compliment for the will to figh. The hosts did not allow the favourites to take the lead once in the entire game and were on the verge of completing a major upset against Magdeburg. It was only in the final minute that Daniel Pettersson secured a draw for the German championship runners-up and Champions League winners.
Erlangen achieves the extraordinary.
"We tried to prepare our bodies and minds as much as possible for this match," said Wiegert, but this challenge was obviously too great with just one day's rest after the Champions League thriller in Spain - even though the coach had tried to go into the clash in a positive frame of mind."It's great, it's a challenge. I'm actually always open to and enthusiastic about something new," Wiegert said.
His enthusiasm after the game was limited, but Erlangen celebrated the point as if they had won the game. And rightly so: Everyone in the Champions League and Bundesliga had so far failed to beat Magdeburg, including the top teams Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Füchse Berlin.
Match centre: Erlangen vs. Magdeburg