Rogue vs Vitality
The LEC super week will kick off with a clash between Rogue and Vitality, which is billed as a one-sided match however, it’s hard to be too optimistic about Rogue who looked very iffy last week, when they lost to SK Gaming in a smilar fashion than they lost to G2 – by dropping the ball in the late game and letting the lead slip between their fingers.
Last week, we saw Vitality upset MAD Lions, but I would now rank that win too highly since it was nothing more than a fluke win. Having said that, Vitality are not a team that will go down lightly, which is something they have proven time and time again. Milica and Comp are playing well as of late and Cabochard is doing his job. Labrov also had a standout performance last week, so perhaps there is hope for VItality to take on Rogue and make them sweat for the win.
Rogue are still the rightful winners due to their better macro play, but they did not look as dominant as of late, which won’t do them any favours against the aggressive Vitality.
Prediction: Over 20.5 kills – 1.892
Origen vs Excel
Surprisingly enough Origen are on the brink of missing out on the playoffs and even though this team undoubtedly has the individual talent to compete for the title, Origen have historically always underperformed when it mattered. They’re 0-4 in their last four which includes losses to Vitality, Fnatic, MAD Lions and most recently Schalke 04.
While Origen still have a chance of making it into the postseason, the morale in this team is at an all-time low and I don’t know if the mentality in this team is at the level needed for them to complete their run.
Origen will be facing Excel this Friday, who are a polar opposite when it comes to team morale. As a team that has historically struggled in the LEC, Excel are now sitting amongst the top six teams in the league and deservingly so. Of course, Excel can hardly be regarded as the title contenders, but there is something about their playstyle that makes you excited.
Patrik is still the main carry in this team as seen in their win against Misfits when he accumulated eight out of 11 kills and singlehandedly carried his team to victory. That is something that scares me since, it’s hard to trust a team that relies on one player alone, however, with Origen’s struggles, Excel are the favorites in my eyes.
Prediction: Excel over 9.5 kills – 1.877
Prediction: Excel to win – 1.990
Fnatic vs Schalke 04
Everyone is on Schalke 04’s hype train as they look to complete their miracle run and secure a playoffs spot. Schalke 04 have gone through a resurgence in form through the last two weeks and picked up four consecutive wins.
Schalke already defeated G2, Misfits, Excel and most recently Origen and will now look to take down Fnatic who have not been performing up to par as of late. While many people would love to see Schalke 04 succeed, I’m not ready to jump on the hype just yet.
Comparing the two sides, Fnatic are still a better team. The top lane should end in Fnatic’s favour since Bwipo has been playing well and should hold his own against Odoamne. The mid lane will be an exciting clash between Abbedagge and Nemesis which seems like it can go either way, unless we see a resurgence of Nemesis, who when playing at his best is a level or two above Abbedagge.
As for the bottom lane, it’s hard to say which team has an edge. Rekkles is without a doubt better ADC than Neon, however, we have to give Schalke 04 a thumbs up when it comes to the support matchup. DreamS has been very aggressive support and quite efficient in his playstyle, while Hylissang can be a hit or miss most of the time.
Since Hylissang is prone to dying way too many times, the bottom lane will likely turn out to be a bloodbath and since both sides prioritise strong bottom-of-the-map control, the bottom lane matchup will likely dictate the pace of the game.
Fnatic should win this one, but we expect strong resistance from Schalke who will force Fnatic to play at a high pace, and pick up at least 11 kills.
Prediction: Schalke 04 over 10.5 kills – 1.869
Misfits vs MAD Lions
MAD Lions have seemingly hit a bit of a slump as of late and it is kind of concerning to see them lose to SK and Vitality. While they still managed to take down both Fnatic and Origen, it’s clear this team is not playing as well as they did throughout the split.
Misfits, on the other side, continue with their mediocre performances and are entering this match with 1-3 record from their last four. Last week, they lost to Excel in a very humiliating fashion and by now, it’s all but confirmed that Misfits will not be making it to the postseason.
Like it’s the case with Origen, the morale in Misfits is extremely low and it would be fair to say that there is some sort of turmoil in the team. The roster is not playing like a cohesive unit and quite frankly, there is not a single player on the team that is playing well. Kobbe is the only player on the team with over 3.0 KDA, but even his performances across the last two weeks have dropped.
Despite MAD Lions’ shakier performances, there is no reason to believe they can lose here. Even if Misfits can get an early lead, they have proven time and time again that they don’t know how to close out the games and due to their lack of coordination, Misfits will likely struggle to play at the same tempo as MAD Lions.
Prediction: MAD Lions -6.5 – 1.952
G2 Esports vs SK Gaming
G2 Esports are back! Well perhaps not the same G2 we were used to looking at throughout the last couple of seasons, but as expected, G2 Esports have switched into a higher gear and are now looking much more potent than they did throughout most of the split.
G2 are still not playing at their peak, which in most part is due to the meta that does not allow them to be as creative with their drafts as they were last year and the fact that Perkz had some personal issues which have affected his performances. Nevertheless, the reigning LEC champions decimated Fnatic and Vitality last week and there is no reason to believe they can’t do it again this Friday.
SK are playing exceptionally well this split, however, their success is in most part due to the other teams’ struggles. They took down Rogue and MAD Lions last week, but we would not rank those wins too highly since their win against Rogue was a complete fluke whereas SK faced MAD Lions during a slump.
SK are still a potent team that can surprise and will punish any team that underestimates them, but pound for pound, they are nowhere near the level of G2 Esports, especially now that G2 have found their form.
Prediction: G2 Esports -6.5 kills – 1.826
