Austrian Bowl XL: Vikings vs. Dragons – Who will be champion?

Austrian Bowl XL: Vikings vs. Dragons – Who will be champion?

On July 26th at 7:00 p.m. the eagerly awaited finale of the Austrian Football League instead of. In the 40th edition of the Austrian Bowl, the AFC Vienna Vikings meet the Danube Dragons. It promises to be a thrilling duel between two of the best teams in the league, which promises both sporting and emotional highlights.

The Danube Dragons finished the regular season with impressive 8-2 victories and thus secured home advantage in the playoffs. The team dominated in the semifinals and won clearly against the Prague Black Panthers with 42:7. On the other hand, the Vienna Vikings had a somewhat bumpier road to the final. With a record of 6-4, they still made it to the final after defeating the Graz Giants 22:10 in the semifinals.

The key players in focus

The Danube Dragons have stood out not only for their strong record, but also for their defense. They have the best defense in the league, which is illustrated by Matthias Rebl, who was named Defense MVP. In addition, quarterback Alexander Reischl, a former Vienna Vikings player, leads the team. This background could take an interesting turn in the finale.

On the Vienna Vikings side, running back Matthias Moser particularly stands out, leading the league's second-best scoring offense with seven rushing touchdowns. This offensive power is crucial to being able to stand up to the Dragons. The two teams have played each other twice this season: The Vikings won 13-7 on April 25th, while the Dragons won 17-14 on June 8th.

Statistics and history of the Austrian Bowl

The defending champions this year are the Prague Black Panthers, who triumphed against the Vienna Vikings in 2022. However, the Vikings are the league's record winners with a total of 15 titles and are starting their 29th Austrian Bowl. The Graz Giants have ten titles, the Raiders Tirol eight and the Danube Dragons can look back on three titles.

Around 3,500 tickets have already been sold for the final and online ordering is possible until Saturday, 2 p.m. The pre-game area opens at 12:00 p.m., followed by the Ladies Austrian Bowl XXVI from 3:00 p.m. The exciting developments surrounding the Austrian Bowl will also be broadcast on TV on ORF Sport+ from 6:55 p.m.

For more information about the Austrian Football League and further developments, please visit football.at.