As outlined in previous articles, the LEC playoffs this year will feature a “Juggernaut Match” in round two, where the first and second place teams face off. G2 Esports have been a powerhouse since they first joined the EU LCS in 2015. Origen, once a world class team before dropping off the map, is back and looking to redeem themselves. While they have taken very different paths over the past few years, this match comes down to where they are right now, and who is currently filling those roster spots.
Top lane: Martin “Wunder” Hansen VS Barney “Alphari” Morris
Wunder has been a staple of the G2 roster for over a year, and in that time has made a name for himself as one of the best top laners in the west. Rarely a liability and often a threat, he has been one of the more consistent members of the team. He has the highest KDA of starting top laners in the LEC at 4.1, and leads his position in both experience and farm differential at 10 minutes.
Though he may be in the lead, his opponent is no slouch either. Alphari is right on Wunder’s heels with a KDA of 3.4, and a Kill Participation percentage less than 1% lower than Wunder, (51.8 and 52.6 respectively). Alphari is also a seasoned veteran of the professional scene, and actually has a strong record against G2, including a sweep in the summer playoffs. The stats may lean slightly in favor of Wunder, but it is unlikely that G2 is going to find their big advantage in the top lane.
Jungle: Marcin “Jankos” Jankowski
VS Jonas “Kold” Andersen
The jungle battle in this match will be one to watch. Both veterans, Kold and Jankos have a large impact on their the success of their teams. Jankos has earned a reputation for being one of the scariest ganking junglers in the league. However, he has been struggling in the end of this season.
Kold, however, had been on quite the hot streak. Over the past six games, he has raked up 16 kills and twice as many assists, while averaging only one death per game. If G2 allows Kold to have Rek’Sai, Jarvan IV or another heavy engage carry jungler, he could easily sway the game in Origen’s favor.
Mid lane: Rasmus “Caps” Winther VS Erlend “Nukeduck” Våtevik Holm
The mid lane matchup is the most surprising of the game. Coming off of a 2018 season that took him all the way to the World Finals, “Baby Faker” made an unexpected move to join G2 Esports. Everyone expected this combination to completely dominate. While G2 did finish the regular season in first, Caps hasn’t been as completely in control as many expected. His league-leading 92 kills have been accompanied by 47 deaths, leaving is KDA slightly below that of Nukeduck. Even more surprisingly, the G2 mid laner also trails his opponent in farm, experience, and gold at 10 minutes.
Caps is an incredible mid laner, and leads the position in damage done per minute. There is no doubt that he can carry the game, but it also puts a huge target on his back that he has been struggling to handle towards the end of the season. If the safer, controlled play of Nukeduck can keep Caps from getting ahead, it might prevent Caps from having the influence on the game he is used to.
Bottom lane: Luka “Perkz” Perković VS Patrik “Patrik” Jírů
Patrik, formerly known as Sherriff, has had an impressive season that many did not foresee. Coming from an H2K team that struggled throughout last year, no one expected him to be one of the top ADC’s in the LEC. He leads the role in percentage of his teams damage as well as first blood percentage, and is in the top five for most other statistics.
Not to be outdone, G2 had their own surprise in the bottom lane this season. Their star mid laner Perkz switched positions to make room for Caps in the mid lane, and it worked out better than anyone expected. Often, players switching positions turns out mediocre at best, but Perkz proved to be an exception. Leading ADC’s in kills and damage per minute, he brought his dominance that he established in the mid lane along with him.
If Patrik can use his experience in the position to keep Perkz at bay, they have a shot at scaling past him. However, if they let Perkz get some kills, Origen will have a beast to deal with.
Support: Mihael “Mikyx” Mehle VS Alfonso “mithy” Aguirre Rodríguez
On paper, Mikyx takes this match up handily. He not only beats mithy in most statistics throughout the current split, but is near the top of most categories among supports. However, this clash may come down to much more than stats.
Mithy played for the original Origen team, but left to join G2 along with lane partner Jesper “Zven” Svenningsen, adding to Origen’s eventual collapse. After a stint in the NA LCS, mithy returned to Europe, joining Origen once again. The chance to make an impression on his former team in the playoffs is not a chance that mithy will take lightly, and he will want the victory at least as much as anyone else on the Rift.
Additionally, in their past two matchups, the support that locked in Rakan walked away with the victory. The heavy engage playmaking support will likely be a high priority for both teams in the pick/ban phase.
The Match
Overall, the individual potential of the G2 roster is intimidating. They can carry from any lane, and once they’re ahead, they’re a hard team to catch. However, the outcome may rest in the hands of Origen. If they can play their controlled game and keep Caps or Perkz from getting ahead, they have a chance to take a victory with their team play and hot-streak jungler. Alternatively, if they try to get too aggressive and give up early kills, they will likely be at the mercy of some of the most explosive talent in Europe.
Whatever the outcome may be, don’t miss this match Saturday, April 6 at 12:00 P.M. ET.
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