The LEC enters its fourth week and there’s still a lot to play for, as old favorites look to rise up again, while new contenders want to continue their form.
Two wins for Vitality?
Team Vitality has been on the rise ever since they improved their roster, bringing in talented players such as jungler Selfmade and carry mid laner LIDER, who have both been performing very well in the past weeks. This week they look to complete a 2-0 weekend, as they face Astralis and Excel, two teams who have struggled to find their identity and currently both sith in seventh place with a 2-5 record.
Astralis had a pretty strong start to the Summer Split, also made possible by strong performances from MagiFelix in the mid lane and WhiteKnight in the top lane. In other places, Astralis look to be outclassed by Vitality. With SLT and LIDER neutralizing top and mid respectively, Vitality arguably has the stronger bot lane (Crownshot has been in top form), which they’ll probably look to play through aided by Selfmade.
Excel also decided on a big change after finding out their split didn’t start off the way they wanted to. They brought in academy players in the form of support Advienne and jungler Markoon, to replace Denyk and Markoon respectively. Both have been top performers and it’ll be interesting to see them take their first steps in LEC. Synergy issues might pop up however and talent-wise, Vitality should look for a victory here.
G2 needs to bounce back, Misfits to be tested
Things have been tough for G2 Esports. After not making the finals in the previous playoffs, they currently sit in the fourth place of the Summer Split, flanked by MAD Lions and Team Vitality with a 4-3 record. Their 0-2 weekend last week was quite painful and they’ll look to bounce back against Excel in their first game. Their game on Saturday against Misfits Gaming might prove to be a little more difficult however.
Misfits Gaming has been the biggest surprise of the split so far, jumping to the top of the standings, having only lost to Rogue in their first meeting. Mid laner Vetheo has been their star player without a doubt, excelling on carry mid laners such as the Akali and jungler Razork has shown greater consistency lately. G2 Esports will be a great test for Vetheo as he faces caps, but just as well for their bot lane. Kobbe and Vander taking on Rekkles and Mikyx is a great primer for a potential battle in the playoffs later on.
Misfits Gaming also face MAD Lions this week, who seem to be a little out of the loop following their semi final finish at MSI 2021. They haven’t had the opportunity to rest a lot and probably need more time to recollect themselves, so fans of MAD shouldn’t panic yet. However, facing this young and fresh Misfits Gaming roster might give us a good idea how they’ll go about it.
Fnatic to the top?
Fnatic on the other faces a great opportunity to jump over Misfits Gaming in the standings if they slip up twice, having games against Schalke 04 and SK Gaming on the schedule. Not many people expected Fnatic to be this strong, but the team has shown great synergy and Bwipo’s role swap to jungle has been great so far. It’s given players such as Nisqy in the mid lane and new top laner Adam ample time to prove themselves and step up. Fnatic’s bot lane is also one of their greatest threats, giving them a lot of flexibility and options, which is potentially one of their biggest strengths.
With Schalke 04 in turmoil following the sale of their spot and SK Gaming struggling to find any kind of form, these are two matches Fnatic should win if they want to establish themselves as a top contender. Schalke 04’s Kirei hasn’t performed up to expectations, which might be a key position for Fnatic to exploit, while SK Gaming’s role swap in the form of Treatz to the jungle hasn’t worked out at all.
In any case this Summer Split has gradually become a little more interesting, as we’re seeing some teams find themselves again, while some of the old guard have been struggling. Week 4 will be a great way to answer some of the questions we all still have and it might be a great primer of how the playoffs might turn out in a couple of weeks.
Also read:
What are your predictions for week 5? Join the discussion on social media or our Discord
You can also help improve our website by submitting direct feedback!