As the second part of the spring split started, the underdogs made the LEC quite interesting. With the favorites stumbling, many teams are in a good position to contest the top spots.
Vitality find first win against SK Gaming
After a long winless streak, Vitality once against started strong.
They punished an early dragon attempt by SK Gaming with two kills and had a small lead through the early game. However, a mistake near the Rift Herald 12 minutes in allowed SK to take a kill and the objective, equalizing the game.
The teams continued being neck and neck, with SK sneaking Baron 23 minutes in and then collapsing on Lucas “Saken” Fayard’s overextended Ryze. However, a clutch fight for Vitality shortly after allowed them to neutralize the Baron buff. A catch on Kim “Trick” Gang-yun resulted in Vitality taking the second Baron and they went on the attack.
The French team broke the deadlock 33 minutes in after a 4-2 fight in the mid lane, then followed up with the first inhibitor. They played chicken with SK to take another one, then easily secured a second Baron.
The game ended several minutes later: during a stand-off near the dragon, Saken went on to split-push. With the rest of his team playing interference, his Ryzeended the game.
This win has ended Vitality’s long dry spell while SK remains oh so close to the last spot.
Excel end Schalke’s advance
The second game saw a resurgent FC Schalke 04 face off against Excel Esports.
The German team took the first blood as Ki “Expect” Dae-han’s Gangplank got overaggressive. However, Excel soon equalized the game and the two teams kept within reach. Eventually, Excel’s better map play and a won teamfight led to them slowly pushing their opponents back. This lead extended as the upgraded items from Son “Mickey” Young-min’s Ornn started coming in.
They played a cautious game, however, trying not to give Schalke many opportunities to take over the game. The one risk they took was a Baron 30 minutes in and while Excel secured it, the German team took 3 kills in return. The fights remained close in the mid game but eventually, Excel’s advantage resulted in them taking the second Baron. It took some 43 minutes for them the break into Schalke’s base, but little by little, they wore down their opponents.
A big fight near the elder drake 46 minutes in was the fight that decided the game. While Schalke appeared to have a big advantage, a clinic by Patrik “Patrik” Jírů delayed them enough for Expect to teleport into the S04 base and end the game.
This win leaves Excel standing at 5-5 and despite their 7th place, they are in a good position to attack the top spots if they stay consistent.
Misfits Machine grinds to a halt
It was a long-awaited fight as the Misfits winning streak would clash with Rogue, eager to redeem themselves after the Friday loss to Fnatic.
The Misfits went in hot, taking first blood and then following up with a four-man tower dive to establish control over the early game. Rogue were able to slow the game down in the mid game, however, eventually equalizing and giving their heavily-scaling composition much-needed time.
Still, it was not going to be easy for the underdogs, as Misfits took the Baron 26 minutes in. It was shortly afterward that Rogue would finally find their fight. Steven “Hans sama” Liv and Emil “Larssen” Larsson took over a scuffle for the dragon, making it a 5-3 and taking an inhibitor.
With this, Misfits’ backs were against the wall, and shortly afterward, they stumbled. Rogue picked off the enemy support Petr “denyk” Haramach, then took two kills in the mid-lane. With no inhibitor to fall back to, the game was over.
With this, Rogue stopped the Misfits winning streak and also got a 2-0 record against a possible competitor for the playoffs.
The lions’ triumphant roar
With Misfits losing, 2019 champions G2 Esports smelled a chance to get ahead of a rival – but their opponents, the MAD Lions, had other plans.
The Spanish team picked a surprising bottom-lane duo, pairing Kalista and Taric – two champions not common in this meta. G2 started strong, taking first blood and stealing a Rift Herald that allowed them to dominate the early game. MAD came back in the game at the 15-minute mark, however, punishing G2’s overaggression and taking three kills and the second Herald. Still, the 2019 champions stayed ahead in gold and slowly extended their lead.
In a big fight 25 minutes in, G2 killed MAD’s fed mid laner but a massive Cosmic Radiance saved the rookies. It also let Matyáš “Carzzy” Orság clean up the fight, giving MAD four kills in return and the Baron. With it, they pushed all lanes and took all three inhibitors. G2 barely pushed them back but it was only a small reprieve. MAD’s next attack aced them in their base and the underdogs scored the win.
This leaves the Lions at 6-4, just one game behind many of the leaders. G2, meanwhile, need to start taking measures: they lost three of the last four games, and this is not a record they should be comfortable with.
Fnatic win clash versus Origen
In the five years since Origen’s inception, their matches with Fnatic have proved to be one of the top rivalries in the LEC. And, as usual, there was a top spot on the line.
OG took the first blood but their opponents quickly equalized. The veteran Fnatic roster took several more early kills and towers that left them 2K gold ahead at the 15-minute mark. However, Origen soon struck back with several kills, yet the relative parity soon broke. Fnatic simply caught their opponents pushing in the bottom lane and got three kills.
This gave them the edge to take over the map and they used it expertly. At 22 minutes into the game, they caught Elias “Upset” Lipp and with the enemy AD Carry down, quickly secured the Baron. Strong laners and good side control gave Erlend “Nukeduck” Våtevik Holm no opportunities to push with his Ryzeand Fnatic slowly choked Origen off.
At 28 minutes in, they took the cloud soul and then pounced on Origen as they tried to bait the Baron. Fnatic aced their opponents and rushed the base, ending the game in just under 30 minutes. It was a key win for Europe’s most decorated team who did not just equalize Origen for a joint first place, but also secured a 1-1 head-to-head with their long-time rivals.
As the LEC goes into its second half, the fight for the top spots will surely be bloody. Fnatic, Origen, G2 Esports and Misfits Gaming are all precariously tied for the first place. Don’t forget that two more powerful teams – Rogue and MAD Lions – are just one win behind. Even Excel Esports, currently out of the playoffs, need only two wins to catch up with the first-place teams. The fight for the throne is going to be hard.
If you’d like to see the action of LEC’s Week 5, check our Top 5 Plays compilation here. And if you missed all the Saturday action, here is our recap of LEC Week 5’s Day 1 matches.
