It’s the third home game for Zagreb, and it will be played not only at the third different stadium, but also the third different city. They’ll host the Novi Sad Dukes at Čakovec from 4PM on Saturday.

With a loss that is most likely going to happen, the Thunder would become the first team this year to officially become eliminated from postseason contention. Looking at their remaining schedule, there aren’t many teams they appear capable of beating to avoid ending the year without a win, but one of the least likely teams are the Novi Sad Dukes.

Novi Sad is undefeated in all competitions this year, including CEFL and the Serbian league, where they are a combined 9-0. The downside to this impressive display early on is that they needed to play so many games in so few weeks. The packed schedule has started to take its toll, and they will probably miss linebacker Ivan Međugorac, who was injured last week.

Unofortunately for them, he’s not the only player that won’t be available; running back Marko Đanić is probably done for the year, although not because of injury. He has moved to the US for the next few months, and won’t be back until at least the playoffs, if by then at all.

The Budapest Cowboys will play their first inter-conference game of the season, when they host the CNC Gladiators on Saturday from 5PM, at MLTC Palya sports complex.

Thus far they are a step in front of Zagreb with one win, but the Gladiators are coming as top dogs of the North conference having recorded all four wins, just like Novi Sad. The Austrians are at least two wins away from every team in the conference, meaning that with another win or two, they will move only inches away from clinching a playoff berth.

The Gladiators were expected to be good this year, but along with a poor start from all their direct rivals, they are a team that all others are in the hunt for.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys are a team not completely out yet, but time to challenge the top two teams in their conference is quickly running out. The only positive is that they’re a team with the fewest number of games, not just in the South conference, so there’s still time to make up for the deficit. But even with only three games played, the loss count is at two, and those losses came against Belgrade and Novi Sad, one and two in the standings.