Week five of the LEC threw a spanner in the works for sides. While it did see G2 Esports have a 2-0 week, we also see Fnatic surge up the table into first place as the UK side finally looks to have found their form right when it matters.
Elsewhere, Excel, Schalke 04, and Misfits recorded 0-2 weeks which saw the latter lose their hold on the top spot. With just three weeks of regular matches to play, the playoffs spots are starting to get tight.
Misfits Gaming v Excel Esports — Friday
After both sides slumped to 0-2 weeks in week five, the two will face each other in week six as they look to keep their playoff spots alive. Misfits certainly have a better chance due to their early-season record, for Excel, however, they’re quickly running out of time to make their push to the playoffs. Excel has picked up some big victories during the Summer Split, however, they’ve lacked the ability to chain those results together.
As for the odds, Misfits are going to be the standout favourites, Misfits will be favourites to take the series. As for Excel, they’ll be worth a look, especially given that they can show up when they’ve come up against the better sides. Crucially, however, Excel will be desperate for a win, and arguably need to win more than Misfits do.
Rogue v Astralis — Saturday
Astralis has found their way up the LEC table in the past few weeks as they continued their slow ascension up the table. Rogue, however, will provide a tough challenge, and with a Friday game against Fnatic it could be a huge week for the top of the table. With both Fnatic and Rogue facing Astralis, and Astralis themselves climbing their table for a playoff spot, they could find themselves playing spoiler for both.
As for the odds, Rogue are far out favourites at 1/ 4, with Astralis way back at 29/10. If they can win either game, it’s the Rogue one that seems more likely right now, so at 29/10, Astralis could be worth a shot when you consider their recent form.
Fnatic v G2 Esports — Saturday
After a few weeks of solid matches, Fnatic has found themselves surging up the table into the top spot. Quietly going about their business, Fnatic is now in a prime position to claim one of the top spots in the Summer Split, with higher placement putting them in a better position for the knockout stage. As for G2 Esports, they’ve had a rough few weeks, but week five looks to have seen them turn a corner. Though, G2 has been unpredictable in 2021, so we’ll have to wait and see.
G2 Esports, despite recent form, G2 are going to be the favourites for this series, and their record against Fnatic is also very impressive. You can pick G2 up at 5/7, however, I’m giving my backing to Fnatic at odds of 11/10. It will be a very tight match, but with Fnatic knowing they can rain on the G2 Esports revival part, it might give them the edge.
