As we head into the second weekend of the LEC playoffs, we’ve had our first elimination and, as two sides lock in Worlds spots.
After an exciting first weekend of playoffs, and one where I managed to predict all three winners. It’s time to turn our attention to week two. This week brings us another elimination match, alongside our Upper Bracket final, and Lower Bracket elimination rounds. The first match of the weekend is between Misfits and Fnatic where we’ll see another side eliminated from the playoffs. Next up is the Upper Bracket Final between Rogue and MAD Lions, a rematch of the 2021 Spring Playoffs Finals. Lastly is G2 Esports, who’ll face the winner of the first game of the weekend.
Misfits v Fnatic
Misfits will be disappointed to have been beaten by Rogue. But, they’ll take comfort in the fact it was close. Rogue went into the playoffs as the favourites to most people, and Misfits gave them a run for their money. Moving onto the series against Fnatic, Misfits will be nothing but inspired by Vitality, taking Fnatic to five games.
Fnatic, like Misfits, had a series go to five games, however, they were expected to walk over Vitality, and they certainly did not do that. Now, Fnatic was impacted by COVID-19, meaning the match was played at their office, and not in the LEC studio. Adam, the player with COVID-19, was also forced to play on his own in a different room, which may have impacted them. This should be resolved by next weekend, however, it’s something to keep in mind.
As for whose going to win, the odds will tell you Fnatic are the favourite, and we agree. However, Misfits has been a solid team this Summer Split, and we think that will count for something. We think this game will go the full 5-games, with the series going to Misfits at 6/5.
Rogue v MAD Lions
It’s the repeat of the Spring Split Grand Final, and it’s one to look forward to. Not only does this series prove that Europe as a region has more talent than just G2 and Fnatic, but it also goes to show just how much the rest of the LEC has improved. We picked both these sides in our week one preview, but MAD Lions were arguably the side that surprised us the most. Beating G2 3-1 was against the odds, and certainly a game faster than even we expected.
AS for this fixture, it’ll be a tight one for sure. MAD Lions have often had the number of Rogue when the sides play, especially when it comes to the Best-of-five series. As of writing, the odds are almost even, and that’s likely going to be how the series feels. For us, MAD Lions just look stronger and have the form in this matchup to make us think they’ll have what it takes to win the series.
You can pick up MAD Lions for 20/21 to win the series, though the series could easily go the full five matches. You can find the full odds on the series at the link above
G2 Esports
G2 Esports will face the winner of the series between Misfits and Fnatic. The winner of that will go into the Lower Bracket Grand Final and secure a spot at Worlds in the process. G2 badly need to make a statement in Summer, they won’t want to miss out on two titles in one year, let alone two Grand Finals. They’ll see Fnatic and Misfits as beatable sides, and unless we see something majorly different out of either side, we’re inclined to agree.
Make sure to keep an eye on our LEC Playoff odds page, to check the latest updated odds after the Fnatic v Misfits series on Friday.