LEC Playoff Race Takes Another Turn after Astralis, SK Gaming Upsets

Rogue returned to form with a confident victory against MAD Lions, once more extending their lead after Fnatic and G2 Esports stumbled. Meanwhile, Misfits Gaming keep their winning streak and have now firmly joined the top 4. 

The LEC 2022 Spring Split entered its sixth week on Friday - and with last week showing Rogue exposed and just one win ahead of runners-up Fnatic and G2 Esports, many expected a change at the top. After all, Rogue would be playing MAD Lions while their competitors would take on Astralis and SK Gaming. However, it turns out the underdogs had other plans.

Giantslayers Once More

The opening match saw Astralis face off against Fnatic. While the favorites had the early lead, as the game went on they struggled against the engage and massive area damage that Astralis' composition brought to the table. A catch on Elias "Upset" Lipp led to a Baron attempt by Astralis and they got several more kills before securing the objective when Fnatic came to contest. The game was close, but eventually Kasper "Kobbe" Kobberup’s Jinx took over. Fnatic secured an Elder dragon only to get aced and Astralis congratulated themselves on their second win of the split. 

Misfits' Rampage Continues

Excel Esports and Misfits Gaming were both coming into the next game from winning streaks, but only one of them could hold. The early game fighting was vicious, but Misfits benefited from several narrow outplays and amassed a considerable lead. While Excel AD Carry Patrik "Patrik" Jírů’s had a great start, it was not enough as his team fell behind. The game was decided 31 minutes in as Misfits started the Baron and got a big teamfight win when their opponents came to contest. The rabbits got a deserved win and tied Fnatic at 8-4

Narrow Win for Vitality

Team BDS had another great start in their game against Team Vitality, amassing an early gold lead and several dragons. They were able to secure a mountain soul before their mid-game troubles reared their early head once more. BDS found several picks but still found themselves outplayed on the map and losing the decisive teamfights. It was not a convincing win for Vitality, but BDS' issues were exposed once more.

SK Upsets G2 Esports

G2 Esports had an opportunity to surpass their old rival Fnatic, but a great early game by SK Gaming jungler Erberk "Gilius" Demir put the favorites on the back foot. SK got a big teamfight win 22 minutes in with a great Orianna & Jinx ultimate combo and dominated the mid-game. Even a baron steal was not enough for G2 to come back, and eventually their decision to splitpush as SK was going for the Elder dragon backfired, costing them the game. 

MAD Flounders against Rogue

It turns out, talk about the downfall of Rogue was somewhat premature. In the final game of the day they outdrafted MAD Lions and dominated the teamfights in typical Rogue fashion. An early Baron let the Lions' base exposed and a 4v5 fight 26 minutes in gave Rogue the momentum to end the game.

Read More:

• Astralis Find First Win in LEC Week 5
• LEC Reaches Half-way Point with a 9-0 Rogue
• Victories for the Top 3 Teams in LEC Friday Games

The LEC continues on Saturday as Astralis looks for its next win against Excel Esports. Will the underdogs play spoiler or will Excel take the next step towards their first playoff appearance?