European League of Football (ELF): Rhein Fire vs Raiders Tirol headlines our Week 8 matchups and previews

We're just past the halfway mark of what's been an incredible European League of Football regular season, and with the playoff race heating up, the best is yet to come.

The Vienna Vikings (5-1) and Munich Ravens (5-1) currently lead the pack as the number one and two seeds. But with ten teams still in the hunt and six games left to play before we reach the postseason, the pressure to finish strong is mounting.

As we approach what will be a crucial slate of games in Week 8, we share the must-watch game of the week, what’s at stake, and the major talking points.

Game of the Week: Rhein Fire (4-2) takes on Raiders Tirol (4-3)

It's a testament to how competitive the ELF is that we could have picked any one of three games with huge playoff implications this week, as the Munich Ravens (5-1) face the Madrid Bravos (4-2), and Prague Lions (4-2) go head-to-head with Vienna Vikings (5-1).

Ultimately, we chose this game as the Fire, despite a shaky start to the season by their standards, are full of confidence once again after inflicting the Vikings' first defeat of the season in Week 6.

The reigning ELF champions currently hold the number five seed, which would see them take part in the Wildcard Round. A win here would put them in the driver's seat to push on and unseat the Vikings or Ravens to claim one of two semi-final spots on their quest for the ELF's first-ever three-peat.

Tirol's three losses have come against other playoff-chasing teams, the Ravens, and Vikings (twice), but they have demonstrated they belong with a statement win over the Bravos in Week five.

The Austrian currently sits outside the top six seeds and needs to push on in the second half of the season or risk losing ground to the other teams in the playoff hunt. As one of those teams is the Fire, this game has huge implications for both sides.

Look for Tirol to try and establish their ground game, led by 24-year-old running back Lukas Haslwanter, who currently ranks second in the league with 518 rushing yards and is tied for first with six rushing touchdowns.

Keep an eye out for Rhein's dominant middle linebacker, Marius Kensy, who has been phenomenal through the first six games. He currently ranks fifth among all players with 58 tackles and has recorded two sacks and a forced fumble.

The Raiders may be slight underdogs, but the advantage of the game being on their home turf in Austria may even the playing field. It has all the ingredients for a classic!

Week 8 Full Schedule

5th July 2025

Rhein Fire (4-2) vs Raiders Tirol (4-3) @ 6 pm CET / 5 pm BST

Prague Lions (4-2) vs Vienna Vikings (5-1) @ 6 pm CET / 5 pm BST

Munich Ravens (5-1) vs Madrid Bravos (4-2) @ 8 pm CET / 7 pm BST

6th July 2025

Paris Musketeers (4-2) vs Helvetic Mercenaries (0-5) @ 1 pm CET / 12 noon BST

Cologne Centurions (0-6) vs Wroclaw Panthers (3-3) @ 1 pm CET / 12 noon BST

Fehervar Enthroners (0-6) vs Stuttgart Surge (4-2) @ 1 pm CET / 12 noon BST  

Nordic Storm (5-0) vs Hamburg Sea Devils (2-5) @ 4:25 pm CET / 3:25 pm BST

What is ELF Game Pass? 

ELF Game Pass is a dedicated streaming service on DAZN that allows fans to watch all 101 games of the ELF season live and on demand. It works similarly to the NFL Game Pass and will be the only way to stream ELF games from the 2025 season onwards worldwide.

Where can I buy the ELF Game Pass? 

ELF Game Pass will be available on DAZN starting May 1, 2025. Fans will need to create a DAZN account, but no additional DAZN subscription is required - you can purchase ELF Game Pass separately.

For full details on the ELF Game Pass, please refer to this page.