Munich sends first signal - Strong start for Berlin
Felix Pahl and Florian Puth
© Roland JohannesSeason five of the European League of Football is finally here! Saturday already showed exciting matches and many highlights. Sunday also remained exciting. A look at the early games.
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Raiders Tirol @ Munich Ravens: 7:20
The Raiders Tirol wanted revenge after losing to the Munich Ravens in Week 14 of last season. That loss ended their playoff hopes. But this time, they lost again. The Munich Ravens won the first game of the 2025 season in a hard-fought defensive game.
Strong Tabor and defense
Young quarterback Russell Tabor played his first ELF game for the Ravens — and won. He had some problems in the passing game, with less than 50% of his passes completed and 2 interceptions. But when it mattered most, he made big plays. He scored one touchdown with a run and threw for two more.
Both defenses played very well. They made life hard for the quarterbacks. The Ravens’ defense stopped Raiders QB Connor Miller and also controlled the strong running game of Tirol. The Raiders had more time with the ball but only managed 269 total yards.
Ravens offense more dangerous
Even though it was a tough game, the Ravens were more productive. They had over 400 total offensive yards. Key players like Justin Rodney and Malik Stanley made big plays to help the Ravens win this important interdivisional game.
Next game: Big challenge vs. Berlin Thunder
In Week 2, the Ravens will face another tough opponent: the Berlin Thunder. Berlin started the season strong with a big win over the Cologne Centurions. It will be exciting to see how the Ravens perform next week.
Watch the Raiders at Ravens highlights here!
Cologne Centurions @ Berlin Thunder: 14:63
Berlin Thunder make an impressive start to the new season against the Cologne Centurions.
A special victory, especially for Head Coach Jag Ball, who was still coaching the Centurions on the sidelines in 2024. With a good game plan, the experienced coach gave his opposite number, Javan Lenhardt, no chance.
A strong Jakeb Sullivan played a key role in this. The 2024 ELF passing leader picked up right where he left off last season. The A-import scored 44 yards with his very first pass and broke the 100 passing yards mark already before the end of the first quarter. The 30-year-old completed 22 of his 24 passes and scored a total of 413 passing yards and seven touchdowns.
Watch the Centurions at Thunder highlights here!
On the other side, the game came too early for new Centurions quarterback Keegan Mccormack-Reamer. He was replaced by Homegrowns QB Jan Leuker, who had to fight against a strong Thunder defense. His highlight: a long pass to wide receiver Austine Osborne for 92 yards and a touchdown.
Good news for the Centurions: The team already has a bye week next week and can, after the eventful days shortly before the start of the season, further deepen the game plan and integrate their new quarterback.