By: Lauren Carlo and Alexa Erickson

If you’re planning on attending the highly anticipated Super Bowl LI in Houston, Texas on February 5, expect intense competition and rowdy fans. The big game includes the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons, both extremely intimidating teams in the NFL. This will the be the Falcons first Super Bowl since 1999 and the Patriots are back for another win since their last in 2015. This will be Tom Brady’s seventh trip to the Super Bowl with a record of winning 4 of the 6 he’s participated in.

Every year at the Super Bowl, besides the intense game, the Super Bowl halftime show is a long awaited portion of the game where well known artists perform for the millions of fans watching from the stadium and at home. This year, all eyes will be on Lady Gaga, who will perform her top hits from throughout her career. With her unique performance skills and her creative costumes, fans should look forward to a very entertaining and fulfilling 12 minutes. Gaga has been planning this for months in advance, so there’s high expectations to put on a memorable show.

As a fan attending the game, expect a lot of intense rivalry, not only on the field, but between New England and Atlanta fans. Even with the 4-game-suspension put on Brady in the beginning of the Patriots season, the Patriots still are a big threat to the Falcons going into the game. Although they are a threat, both teams came out of the season with impressive records. Atlanta ended up with an overall record of 11-5, while the Patriots were 14-2. Tom Brady is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and  the Falcons aren’t too far behind having Matt Ryan as their QB. With these QB’s and records, the game is extremely unpredictable causing the fans to be on the edge of their seats throughout the game.

Going into the Super Bowl, this is a very unexpected match up with these two teams. With the Falcons stealing the NFC Championship from the Green Bay Packers, the Falcons took the Super Bowl spot against the NE Patriots, who won the AFC championship on January 29 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Whether you’re a fan watching from home or flying out to Houston, be prepared for a competitive match up between the Patriots and the Falcons. Be sure to tune into the game this Sunday, February 5 at 6:30 pm to watch the long awaited game unfold.