For the Madrid Bravos, Week 14 was a real nail-biter. In their very first year in the ELF, they had high hopes of making the playoffs. Despite their own victory against the Hamburg Sea Devils, their playoff spot was not yet secure. The Bravos had to rely on help from the Munich Ravens, who were facing the Raiders Tirol and needed to win to ensure the Bravos' playoff berth. With the Ravens' 30-3 victory, it was confirmed: The Madrid Bravos would indeed make the playoffs in their inaugural season.

Just in time for the playoffs, their star pass rusher Alejandro Fernandez was back in action. In an interview, he emphasized how thrilled the Bravos are about making the playoffs. "We're all super excited about this opportunity we have after all the work we put in from day one."

A regular in the playoffs

For Fernandez, the playoffs are nothing new, as he has already been there with the Barcelona Dragons and Rhein Fire. Last season, he even won the Championship Game with Rhein Fire, so he knows what it takes to be a successful playoff team. "We just need to keep working as a team with the same mindset to be 1-0 at the end of every week.”

Don't miss a single playoff game - Get your Game Pass now!

A return at the perfect time

It has been a tough year for Fernandez, as he only played his first game in Week 13. Due to an injury, he was unable to help his Bravos in the first twelve games of the playoff race. "It is a great feeling to be able to play the game you love after all the obstacles I had and finally share the field with my guys."

For the Bravos, Fernandez, one of their best defensive players, returned at just the right time. Over the past three years, Fernandez has played football at the highest level. In his 31 ELF games, Fernandez has racked up 112 tackles, 31.5 sacks, 51.5 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, and 9 forced fumbles, showcasing his value to any defense.

Facing his former team

For Fernandez, this will be a special game, as in the wildcard round he will face Rhein Fire, his former team with whom he won the Championship Game last season. Despite another strong season by Rhein Fire, Fernandez is confident.  
"It's gonna be a tough game for sure, but we know better than anyone that they are a beatable team if we focus and play our best football."

The duel between Rhein Fire and Madrid Bravos has already happened twice in the regular season, with each franchise winning once. The key difference in the two games was the performance of Rhein Fire's running back Glen Toonga. In the Bravos' win, they were able to limit the strong running back to just 79 rushing yards and one touchdown, while in Rhein Fire's win, Toonga ran for 184 yards and three touchdowns. Fernandez is optimistic about this too, trusting in his defensive coordinator and their plan to stop Rhein Fire. "Trust our DC Ray who's been doing a great job and play as physical as we can as a defense."

Watch all game here!