LIVESTREAM: Austria – Danube Dragons @Swarco Raiders, #4, June 16, 6p (12p EST)

The 8-1 Swarco Raiders, Europe #4, will play host to the 5-3 Danube Dragons in the first of two, back-to-back games against the Dragons to wind up the Austrian Football League season.

Playing in front of their home crowd at Tivoli Stadium in Innsbruck, the Raiders look to finish the year on top of the AFL standings earning a bye and home field advantage in the playoffs.

And the way Swarco has been playing, there should be no doubt of that.

This will be the first meeting between these two teams this year. Swarco is coming off a Central European Football League championship final win, beating Turkey’s Koc Rams in Innsbruck in CEFL Bowl XIII, 49-20.

However, Danube is on a four-game winning streak and have not lost a game since dropping a 31-28 decision to the Ljubljana Silverhawks on April 21.

The Raiders enter the game with the top offense in Austria averaging 51 points a game. Meanwhile, the defense is the stingiest allowing 20 points a game. Danube’s offense is not nearly as potent scoring at a rate of 31 points a game. The defense is fifth in Austria giving up 27.

Raiders quarterback Sean Shelton has thrown for 2,306 yards in eight games while tossing 31 touchdown passes. Interestingly, Chad Jeffries of the Dragons is right behind him with 2,303 yards passing and 17 TDs.

However, while Raiders running back Sandro Platzgummer is fourth overall in rushing yardage in the AFL with 563 yards and Tobias Bonatti is 11th with 371,. The top rusher for Danube is Jeffries, who has rushed for 287 yards, good for 15th.

The lack of rushing attack is a weakness that the Raiders will capitalize on.

Shelton has excellent receivers including Patrick Donahue (512 yards, 6 TDs) and Daniel Saurer (355 yards, 4 TDs). Danube’s Philipp Haun is the fifth leading receiver in Austria with 640 yards while teammate Felix Reisacher has 436.

Complacency is always the enemy for a team on a roll like the Raiders but head coach Shuan Fatah knows better than anyone how to overcome that. Danube will have to find a way to limit Swarco’s running backs, particularly Platzgummer who had a field day against the Koc Rams.

Otherwise it will be along game for the Dragons.

Watch the game live here. Danube Dragons @Swarco Raiders, #4, June 16, 6p (12p EST)