With only two more weeks to go, the best LEC teams of the season - Rogue and G2 Esports - have guaranteed their playoff spots with continued dominance. SK Gaming reached the top 3 after another 2-0 week, and Misfits Gaming rallied to contest sixth place. Meanwhile, early season powerhouses like Excel Esports and FC Schalke 04 struggle and risk losing their playoff spots.
The sixth week of the League of Legends European Championship offered several long-awaited matches. With a clash between SK Gaming and MAD Lions - two teams battling for top 3 status in the LEC - and a rematch between G2 Esports and Fnatic, we would get a lot of answers about the teams’ current state just three weeks before playoffs.
LEC 2021 Spring Split: Week 6 Day 1
The week opened with a match between SK Gaming and MAD Lions. Despite SK getting a good start for their AD Carry, MAD got a big teamfight 20 minutes in that saw them surge 5K gold ahead. That lead did not last, however - several minutes later, SK pounced and took down the fed Marek "Humanoid" Brázda, getting four kills and the first baron. MAD had no answer to Erik "Treatz" Wessén and Janik "Jenax" Bartels and SK secured the win. In the second game, Misfits Gaming took another step to keep their playoff hopes alive with an impressive victory over Excel Esports. They steadily grew their lead after a big fight 10 minutes in catapulted them ahead and eventually used ocean soul and a Baron to grind down the XL base. The third match of the day saw an uneven fight between on-form G2 Esports and Team Vitality. The favorites got an early gold lead and kept the pressure, eventually taking the first Baron 25 minutes in after acing their opponents in a bloody fight. With this lead, the reigning LEC champions took the inhibitors before ending the game.
The day continued with a showdown between Rogue and the recently struggling FC Schalke 04. The game stayed close well into the mid-game, but two kills 30 minutes in saw Rogue get a clutch Baron, and a great teamfight by veteran top laner Andrei "Odoamne" Pascu saw them take a 4-1 fight two minutes later and end the game. The last Friday game featured Fnatic and Astralis. An early show of force by Oskar "Selfmade" Boderek on Graves tilted the game in the favorites’ favor. Astralis fought hard, but were never quite able to claw their way back into the lead. 20 minutes into the game, Fnatic snuck the Baron and with it, had the advantage they needed to take the game.
LEC 2021 Spring Split: Week 6 Day 2
With Schalke smarting after several consecutive defeats and Misfits needing every win they can get to keep their playoff dreams alive, there was much at stake for their match. The game remained close throughout the early game, but Misfits landed a clutch win 18 minutes in when they poked out Schalke before engaging for a quick 4-0 teamfight. The Royal blues would continue struggling and had to accept their sixth loss in a row. Excel Esports, meanwhile, had a good start against SK Gaming, drafting a scaling comp yet getting an early game lead. However, SK got a huge fight 17 minutes in, acing XL and turning the game around. The German team had masterful teamfights, eventually ending the game after another big clash where Jenax landed a massive Gnar ultimate.
The third game of the day saw MAD Lions face off against Team Vitality. The struggling French team put up a stiff resistance for much of the game, but were denied a great teamfight by a stellar play by İrfan Berk "Armut" Tükek 18 minutes in. The Lions slowly inched ahead, eventually using the second Baron to get two inhibitors and catch Vitality flat-footed for the game-winning fight. Rogue, meanwhile, had far less trouble in their game against Astralis. Early skirmishes got star AD Carry Steven "Hans sama" Liv three kills in the first 10 minutes and unlocked his Kalista. Rogue took an ace around the 23-minute mark and ended the game a few minutes after. The final game of the weekend was the much-awaited match between Fnatic and G2 Esports. Fnatic was one of two teams that beat the 2020 LEC champions this split, but this time, G2 would have their vengeance. They got several kills and objectives in the early game, securing an infernal soul just 22 minutes in. Jungler Marcin "Jankos" Jankowski had a standout performance, leading his team to a 26-minute win and ending the game with an amazing 12/0/6 score.
With only 5 games to play, G2 Esports and Rogue remain tied at the top with a 11-2 record and guaranteed playoff spots. The two teams are set to meet on Friday in what might be the most hyped match of this split.
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