G2 Defeat Fnatic to force four-way Tie
LEC Playoff Race Still Undecided After Week 7
MAD Lions stumbled in the penultimate week of the LEC, losing both their games and only remaining a single win ahead of the four teams tied for second place. With only three games to go, the race for the playoffs will be a nailbiter.
The LEC playoffs are coming soon! Before week 7 of the LEC 2022 summer season, everyone except Team BDS was still in contention for the playoffs and no one - not even MAD Lions - was guaranteed a place in the top 6. There was a lot on the line as the teams came out to play. With showdowns like Rogue vs MAD Lions and G2 Esports vs Fnatic, we had plenty of games to look forward to.
Rogue Defeat MAD Lions in Friday Showdown
Misfits Gaming and Astralis took to the Rift in the opening game of the weekend. After ten minutes of even game, Misfits steadily gained the lead and never gave their opponents a chance to come back on the way to securing their eighth win. The next two games saw very clean wins by Team Vitality over Team BDS and by Fnatic over Sk Gaming, with both victories looking extremely one-sided.
The match between MAD Lions and Rogue, on the other hand, was much more contested. While the spring finalists Rogue got the early lead, MAD managed to prevent the game from getting snowballed. Yet when the Lions opted to take a risky Baron, it backfired - they secured the objective, but Rogue chased, aced them and won.
The last game of the day featured G2 Esports taking on a somewhat flagging Excel Esports. While the UK team looked good in the early game, G2 punished their missteps and put them under pressure. The spring champions executed the teamfights well, protecting Victor "Flakked" Lirola Tortosa's Sivir as she demolished Excel to win them the game.
Fnatic Falter Against G2
Saturday started with a game between Vitality and Astralis, and despite their hot streak and an early lead Vitality were not able to close out the game quickly. Astralis defended their basewell and won a Baron of their own 32 minutes in to take this to the late game, where good teamfighting plus an Elder dragon and another Baron earned them the win. The evening offered more upsets, however. Team BDS got an early lead against Excel Esports, and while the newcomers to the LEC were infamous for throwing in the mid-game, this time they held on. Ilias "NUCLEARINT" Bizriken had a great game on Ahri and his team managed to outfight Excel and get their second win of the split.
After their loss to Rogue, MAD Lions now faced Misfits Gaming and despite an early lead found themselves punished as the mid-game began. Misfits' AD Carry Matúš "Neon" Jakubčík found some clutch flanks on his twitch and backed by a great Sylas from his mid laner turned the game around to give MAD a 0-2 week.
It was a prime opportunity for Rogue to get back to first place in the table, but SK Gaming had other plans. Despite being dismantled on Friday, this time SK were on point, having a better early game and outplaying Rogue in multiple fights. The favorites had no answer to Janik "JNX" Bartels's Shyvana and SK scored a clutch win to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The day ended with the classical showdown of Fnatic and G2 Esports. After losing their last bout, G2 pushed hard against Fnatic's scaling composition and amassed a large gold lead from the early game. Their opponents fought back and had a few moments, but in the key fights G2's carries prevailed, winning the game for a key 2-0 for their team and, incidentally, ensuring that MAD Lions would be the first LEC team with a guaranteed playoff spot.
Read More about the LEC:
- LEC Summer Playoffs 2022: Date, Schedule, Teams & Live-Stream
- Armut Renews Contract with MAD Lions
- 2-0 week for Team Vitalty Sees Them Rise in LEC Standings
The LEC 2022 Spring Season ends next week with a three-day super weekend, starting on Friday with a match between Team BDS and Misfits Gaming. With all but one team still fighting for the playoffs, it looks like Europe's best LoL teams are up for a dramatic showdown!