A great comeback win at the LoL EU Masters quarterfinals gave Spain’s Movistar Riders the win in the decisive third game against the UK’s Fnatic Rising.
How they got there
Both teams started in the main event group stage of the tournament. Movistar Rising were part of a three-way tie with K1CK Neosurf and FC Schalke 04 Evolution but they took down both of their rivals to end in first place in Group C. Fnatic Rising, on the other hand, took second place in Group D after mousesports.
Game 1: A difficult win for Fnatic
The Spanish team got an early lead but Fnatic Rising soon equalized. Eventually, they took over the game after the 20-minute mark thanks to several good teamfights until Movistar snuck a key Baron 33 minutes in to get back into the game.
It was anyone’s game to lose – and the Spanish team blinked first: a 5v4 engage failed to find any kills and they were eventually collapsed on, leading to four kills for Fnatic Rising and a win for the UK team.
Game 2: Movistar strike back
What started as an even early game broke out into a massive fight 8 minutes in where Movistar got a 4-3 that could have been a 5-2 if not for a pinpoint ultimate for Matthew Charles "xMatty" Coombs.
The even early game eventually turned in Movistar’s favor after they took a series of small wins. A great Orianna play by José "Xico" Cruz Antunes countered a Fnatic engage and gave his team the ocean soul and the Baron. Fnatic Rising were put on the defense and while they defended their base once, Movistar rallied and ended the game in just under 30 minutes.
Game 3: Bent, but unbroken
What looked like a regular gank just 3 minutes in ended up as a 5v5 teamfight as both teams collapsed, leading to a kill and summoner spell lead for Fnatic Rising. They grew their advantage until, some 18 minutes into the game, they were 5K gold up and on point for an ocean soul.
However, Movistar did not break and kept in the game with good defense and amazing picks, set up by Javier "Elyoya" Prades’s Sejuani.
What started as an extremely risky flank by the Movistar mid laner Xico led to two kills and a Baron for the team as his Orianna ran circles around Fnatic Rising. With the buff, they were now in control and a final fight in the middle lane 37 minutes in saw them ace Fnatic Rising and win.
It was not a flawless series, but Movistar showed how good they are at their best and how well they can recover. The team now advances to the semifinals where they will face off against the winner of K1CK Neosurf and GamersOrigin. The series was delayed for technical reasons and will take place on Thursday.
If you want to know more about Europe’s biggest regional team competition, check out our previous EU Masters coverage.
READ MORE:
- LoL European Masters play-in review
- EU Masters Main Event week 1 recap
- EU Masters Main Event week 2 recap
- EU Masters Quarterfinals starts with an upset
- LDLC OL sweep BT Excel in EU Masters quarterfinals
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