Four games, four consecutive losses – that’s the situation for both teams on Friday evening. Both the ZSC Lions and EVZ have lost their last four games across all competitions in the National League and Champions Hockey League. Nevertheless, both teams have qualified for the CHL playoffs. The teams are also neck and neck in their domestic league: after 14 rounds, both have 23 points and are in 6th and 7th place respectively.

The parallels continue: in Zurich and Zug alike, there is a Swiss head coach behind the bench. Lions head coach Marco Bayer was Michael Liniger’s successor at the GCK Lions after Liniger moved to EVZ as assistant coach. Now the two are facing each other for the second time this season. Zug won the first duel just under three weeks ago 2-1 in overtime. In any case, the Central Swiss have always been successful against the city of Zurich in 2025. On January 11, they won 2-1 away, and on February 22, they won 5-4 at home. 

Is this a good omen for Zug, who have performed better away from home than in their home arena, the OYM hall, so far this season? Liniger, who has gathered various feedback from the players over the last few days, knows: “We can only find a way out of the current situation together.”

The EVZ’s injury list is not expected to get any shorter this weekend. Junior Jan Daron will therefore make his second appearance in the National League. Sven Senteler will play in defense, as he did in the CHL, but not alongside David Sklenicka. The latter has been suspended for one game as a precautionary measure after an offense against an official. It remains to be seen whether further suspensions will follow.

The Lions are also plagued by injuries: Sven Andrighetto is still recovering, and after Tuesday’s CHL game, Rudolfs Balcers will also be out for eight to ten weeks with an upper body injury.