Courtesy of Mad Lions
Coming off a 1-1 week, Vitality were looking to secure one more win, or at the very least give a solid showing against the MAD Lions. After a very early 1-for-1 trade and kill around the rift herald that was answered in short order by a pick on Lucas “Cabochard” Simon-Mislet. A bottom lane pressure counter by the Lions was stifled by Vitality, and two kills were taken at the cost of one, leaving Vitality in a solid position at the 16-minute mark.
However, this proved to be temporary, and a handful of events put Vitality in a bad position. Markos “Comp” Stampkopolous got separated from the team by the Lions and also by being picked off by an excellently executed kill from Zhiqiang “Shadow” Zhao and Marek “Humanoid” Brazda. Pierre “Steeelback” Medjaldi provided a third kill when attempting to disrupt the Lions’ baron attempt, and the Lions took the Dragon Soul uncontested.
For a moment, it seemed as though Vitality could claw their way back after taking a kill on Shadow and turning towards the Baron, but the Lions cleaned Vitality entirely and shut the door on Vitality’s hopes. After this decimation, the Lions eliminated a disjointed Vitality when taking the Elder Dragon, and took the Vitality nexus for the win.
Player of the Game: This was a game defined by “jungle difference”, and Shadow deserves recognition for his level of clean play on Lee Sin. Many times, his initiations led to a kill, especially when paired with the high damage of Humanoid. In this game, there was simply no comparison from Vitality’s side.
Perkz – Courtesy of Riot Games
A very early engagement set the Vitality bot lane on the back foot early, and really set the tone for the rest of the match. A double kill was given over to Marcin “Jankos” Jankowski of G2 when both junglers visited the bottom lane and a disastrous kill attempt was executed by Vitality. A later lane dive by Vitality gave another three kills over to G2 when the dive went terribly wrong and the execution all fell apart. Further fighting between the teams gave G2 eight kills to Vitality’s meager two, all before the 15-minute mark. A set of extremely dominant pushes and more kills had G2 knocking on Vitality’s nexus. Although Vitality fought back as much as possible, the end was inevitable, and G2 took the win at a blistering 27 minutes.
Player of the Game: When G2 is on their top form, they are truly dominant beyond a shadow of a doubt. Luka “Perkz” Perkovic proved that in his dominant performance for G2 on Akali. Finishing the game with a line of 7/2/5, his daring plays and risk-taking took the rift by storm and shone today.
Coming off of a winless week as well, Schalke has still seen improvement since the departure of Forg1ven. Any confrontation between Schalke and Vitality is, at this point, the equivalent of a grudge match rivalry. A win would be crucial in keeping Vitality in some form of running in the standings. Being able to beat Schalke would, in theory, bring a new sense of vitality in the team. Hopefully securing a victory brings the hope of a winning streak instead of further losses.
In light of their last game, balancing their caution with being willing to take a risk and engage in fights is the key to victory. Also fighting for objectives when the likelihood of success is higher should be their priority in this game.
Player To Watch: Nihat “Innaxe” Aliev has more than filled the void that Forg1iven left, and the Schalke bottom lane duo has become more fearsome and a force to be reckoned with. Jakub “Jactroll” Skurzynski and Steelback should step up and be the players that come in full force this game.
Winner: Vitality
Courtesy of Origen
Beating out Schalke but losing to Fnatic, Origen have still remained top contenders as members of the LEC. Currently, they are tied for first with both powerhouses Fnatic and G2. The fact that they have stayed by and large in this top spot is no coincidence, and they are a force to be reckoned with.
Two factors are required for Vitality to excel in this game. The first is safe decision-making and the second is a draft that can compare to Origen’s. The casters of the LEC brought up drafting as the downfall of Vitality against Origen, so drafting competently should be the biggest priority.
Player To Watch: Elias “Upset” Lipp has shown himself to be a terror of a jungler, and with a Baron steal against Schalke he is not to be underestimated. Duncan “Skeanz” Marquet should be a key player to counter his power, and with the aforementioned draft priority Skeanz should be someone that needs to step up.
Winner: Origen
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