The days are ticking by before the European League of Football’s kick off with the Vienna Vikings and Fehervar Enthroners.
That game is not the only match-up that is incredibly compelling in the opening week. Berlin is travelling to an 11,000-attendance showcase in Wroclaw, the Dragons and Mercenaries will have a back-and-forth also. This weekend’s big game is undoubtedly the Munich Ravens taking on the Stuttgart Surge.
In the video, we break down how each team can potentially win their match-up for every game for the week. To avoid making this article a full dissertation, we will cover the week’s opening game. The other games are all broken down on the video.
Vienna Vikings’ keys to success.
Firstly, they cannot underestimate the Enthroners. They did last season and they nearly lost to the Hungarian outfit. It’s week one, they need to be locked in from the get-go and not take their foot off the gas for the full game. If they get complacent, they could see an upset and severe damage to their hopes of returning to championship glory. A good way to get everything moving on offense is going to be testing the middle of the field. The Enthroners have gone very heavily on the defensive line imports for 2024 and lack some quality in the middle of the field due to this decision. Ben Holmes, the quarterback for the Vikings, has not been active for a few years in the game so will likely need some time to collect himself and get back to form. With the speed and number of weapons they have on the Vikings roster, the middle of the field is going to be where they’ll be able to move the ball and get explosive plays for big yards. On the reverse side of the ball, they need to test Enthroners quarterback Jack Mangel from the get-go. Like Holmes, Mangel has had a short time off from football, but unlike Holmes, Mangel does not have the protection up front. He is also prone to turnovers as we saw in his college statistics. Vienna is going to want to get after him right away, get him flustered and force turnovers from the Enthroners’ offense.
Fehervar Enthroners keys to success
Getting the first win for the Enthroners in 2024 is going to be a tough challenge. Having to play Vienna in the opening week isn’t exactly a favorable draw either. However, if they are to challenge, they need to fire from the start. They have speed at the receiver positions, and it is clear that they are going to be a pass-heavy team. New quarterback Jack Mangel will need to get into a rhythm from the outset. Starting the game with short plays and getting the receiver chunk yardage is going to be imperative. The Vikings defensive backs are not as fast as some of the other title contenders, whereas the speed of the Enthroners at the receiver position is above average. Mangel has to allow them to get into space, let them to make a man miss and go for big gains early and often. This may also allow them to win on special teams, which is going to be another way that they could surprise people. Bigger returns allow for shorter drives, allowing for less chance of turnover and more chance of points scored. Naturally, they can also hope to break off a few big returns for scores off turnovers on the Vikings unit. Realistically, it is going to be a huge challenge for them to get much out of this game, but it could give them an idea of how to run their team in the following weeks.
Game prediction
Overall, I have to go for a Vikings win. It is likely to be a one-sided affair and I have predicted a 40-14 win for the Austrian club. I can see them starting strong with the Enthroners getting a late score and a score before the half.
Check out Matt Bressington’s predictions for the first full week in the European League of Football
