LIVESTREAM: Italy – Bergamo Lions @Firenze Guelfi, Sat. May 18, 6p CEDT (12p EDT)

AFI | American Football | 05/18/2019

Graphic: Igor Lazarevic

The Bergamo Lions (1-6) head to Florence, Italy Saturday, May 18, to take on the Firenze Guelfi (5-2) which the Guelfi badly need to win to earn third in the standings.

Firenze downed the Ancona Dolphins last week 40-13 after getting a much-needed win the week before over the lowly Bologna Warriors, 34-28. They had dropped two in a row when they lost a last second thriller to the Milano Seamen, 34-28.and then lost to the league-leading Bolzano Giants 36-32. The Guelfi had opened the season with three solid wins over the Parma Panthers (27-17), Lazio Ducks (36-22) and the Torino Giaguari who they knocked off 49-14.

Firenze boasts the second leading offense in the league averaging 35.1 points a game behind the league’s best running back in Silas Nacita and quarterback Lynx Hawthorne. Nacita is averaging 133.7 yards rushing per game to lead the country while Hawthorne is third with 67.3. Although Hawthorne has only thrown for 1,060 yards in seven games, he is fourth in passing efficiency with a rating of 146.8.

Meanwhile, Bergamo has struggled through a tough season. They have lost their last two to the Ancona Dolphins, 37-17 and Bologna Warriors 37-28 after earning a 30-21 win over the Torino Giaguari. Prior to that, they had dropped four in a row to the Milano Seamen (37-0), Bolzano Giants 28-24, Lazio Ducks, 34-21 and Parma Panthers, 40-7.

Lions QB Andrea Fimiani has climbed to sixth in average yards passing per game with his 156.8 while RB Alexander Germany is now the fourth leading rusher in the league in terms of average yards per game with 59.4.

This will be a game of pride for Bergamo while the Guelfi need to win.