Matches of the week: Vitality – BDS and Vitality – Excel
Strange week for BDS. In the wake of its faultless weekend, the Swiss club and its French cohort offered performances against G2, Vitality and Team Heretics which would all deserve a mention… for a single success this time, snatched against the latter. Chaotic but creative, rhythmic and pleasant matches, which contribute to making this team one of the most interesting to follow at the start of the year.
It is the meeting against Vitality which however wins the prize. An opposition of styles, between the raw talent of BDS – that of its jungler Théo “Sheo” Borile in particular, who came to shake up his direct opponent Yang-Bo “Bo” Zhou like never before in the LEC – and the collective discipline of the French club at the start portion. Tight, undecided, the match took very long minutes before choosing its winner. Finally, carried by Gyu-tae “Photon” Kyeong, Vitality won in pain. An important victory to secure a place at the top of the table. BDS is not there yet, but will have arguments in the next round.
And to secure first place in the ranking, Vitality offered itself a new banger, facing Excel on Monday. A 55-minute game similar to that against BDS in the scenario, against a team already eliminated (only one victory this season, six defeats in a row). A crazy match that the two protagonists absolutely did not want to let go, with a confused conclusion… ultimately to Vitality’s advantage. Fabien “Neo” Devide, its founder, wanted to see a show this year. It is served. First place is a welcome bonus and proof of a new dynamic. But beware, with a loss to Koi on Saturday and two average performances despite the entertainment on offer, this team didn’t quite assert any LEC dominance. However, it has the right to be ambitious: its room for improvement is great.
Player of the Week: Yasin “Nisqy” Dinçer
Three matches, three victories, two MVP trophies (against Fnatic, then Heretics), a pentakill (against Heretics) and a success in 25 minutes against the favorite for the G2 title for his team, MAD Lions: the results of Yasin “Nisqy” Dinçer this week is very convincing. Elected best player of the LEC regular season last summer, the Belgian is improving over time and appears to be the most successful midlaner in the championship this winter, in a position where competition is however tough (Perkz, Caps… ). Attention, this MAD Lions is a serious suitor.
Team of the week: G2
Certainly, G2 was walked on in 25 minutes this Monday evening against MAD Lions in a duel at the top of the table. But the flexible composition concocted in the draft by the favorite LEC team looked more like a life-size test – inconclusive. If G2 dares to try such unconventional things, it’s probably because the team of Rasmus “Caps” Winther and Steven “Hans sama” Liv know they are generally superior when they play what is strong.
She showed it on Sunday, the day after a painful victory against BDS, by humiliating KOI. The kind of performance this G2 team seems capable of putting out when they want…or need. Long live the BO3s. And if MAD is the only undefeated team of the week, it is G2 who remain favorites in this winter segment of the LEC.
Flop of the week: Fnatic
It is even the flop of this winter, with Excel. Few would have imagined seeing the two ambitious clubs be part of the duo of eliminated at the end of the regular season of this opening segment of the LEC. If this fate quickly took shape with no real escape for Excel, Fnatic lost its three meetings of the week, against MAD Lions, Astralis and SK Gaming, to finally remain at the dock.
A long-awaited epilogue Fnatic, seven times titled and which had never been eliminated before the league play-offs, appeared mediocre over the matches. This workforce, although composed of some beautiful individuals, has never been a team. Martin “Rekkles” Larsson, star back home, has shown almost nothing, but he is not the only one and it is the whole construction of this formation which is called into question. There is a lot of work for this monument of the League of Legends European. But also, now, a little time to get back in place.
But also…
In danger before this week, KOI and its four defending champions managed to get away with it, with two successes against Vitality and Astralis. But this team is not currently scary, despite its ambitions… Third in the final standings, SK Gaming once again showed great things against Excel and Fnatic, after a surprise defeat against Astralis on Saturday. The formation of rookie French Thomas “Exakick” Foucou will have arguments against the announced favorites of the league.
Astralis precisely, promised in last place by observers, will play well the next round thanks to its good week. A surprise, but which owes a lot to the weakness of Fnatic and Excel. Finally, Heretics seems to have difficulty concluding games that it dominates, like against BDS on Monday. Very irregular, it will play the next round with the desire to surprise in BO3.
The group stage table