Astralis Find First Win in LEC Week 5

After being undefeated for half the LEC season, Rogue start the second half with a 0-2 record after a loss to the last place Astralis. With several teams in hot pursuit, the top of the table looks quite dynamic - who will end up on top of Europe's premier LoL league?

Week 5 of the LEC started last weekend with several big fights and a couple of upsets we did not see coming. After all, Rogue had beaten every team in the league, surely Astralis and Misfits would not be any challenge, right? Meanwhile, Team Vitality were poised to join the top 3 with a game against the struggling Fnatic and G2 faced stiff competition from MAD. That was the theory, at least - practice showed something quite different.

Astralis' Big Upset

The week started with a bout between Misfits Gaming and Team BDS. While the newcomers made their opponents work for it, all Misfits needed was one big teamfight 27 minutes in where Matúš "Neon" Jakubčík on Jinx cleaned up. After that, Rogue took on Astralis - and despite the good start for the underdogs, we were not expecting any surprise until a series of clutch plays gave them the Baron and the mountain soul. Rogue rolled the dice at the Baron but it was too late - Astralis would not be denied a win for ten games in a row.

The surprises were not yet done, however. Team Vitality got a near-perfect start against Excel Esports, giving Matyáš "Carzzy" Orság’s Vayne two early kills. However, Excel came back with some good moves of their own and triumphed after a bloody battle. SK Gaming was not as lucky against Fnatic, though - from the opening minutes to the finish, the favorites dictated the pace. The final game featured MAD Lions taking on G2 Esports. MAD had a good start, but they were unable to build on it. A big mid-game teamfight saw G2 come out ahead and they did not relinquish the lead.

When It Rains, It Pours

Saturday would also begin with a Team BDS game, this time against Excel Esports. Once more, the newbies' mid-game mistakes were their undoing. With Patrik "Patrik" Jírů on Aphelios getting unlocked and three dragons for his team, BDS was on a timer. A lost teamfight 33 minutes in was the final nail in the coffin as XL not only got four kills but also the infernal soul and ended soon afterwards. MAD Lions, meanwhile, looked set for a victory against SK Gaming after their good start. However, they made a series of mistakes in the mid-game that gave their opponents a perfect opportunity to take several kills and the Baron. Now with a firm lead, SK made no mistakes and MAD had to endure another loss just as playoffs were starting to loom in everyone's mind.

Astralis came out against G2 Esports with the same aggression that had worked against Rogue - but the canny veterans had an answer, punishing several overreaches and sneaking a Baron. 27 minutes in, Astralis thought they had caught Marcin "Jankos" Jankowski only to get routed by G2, who ended the game shortly afterwards. Rogue did not fare much better against Misfits, whose carries quickly ramped up. They were too much for Rogue's low-engage comp to handle and after a 9-0 start, the team had to endure a 0-2 week

The match of the week - Fnatic vs Team Vitality - closed out the Saturday games. Fnatic got a great start with a first blood going to Elias "Upset" Lipp on Zeri and the AD Carry went ham in the early game - even occasionally getting punished for it. But just as Vitality started getting their hopes up, Iván "Razork" Martín Díaz’s Viego showed up big in a teamfight to shut them down. Now with a big lead, Fnatic were merciless and ended the week with a 2-0 record.

Read More:

• LEC Reaches Half-way Point with a 9-0 Rogue
• Victories for the Top 3 Teams in LEC Friday Games
  
• Lock In Tournament Showcases LCS Top Teams

The LEC continues on Friday, February 18th, with a game between Misfits Gaming and Excel Esports. With both teams hoping to make playoffs, which team will get the valuable win?