G2 Esports dominates again while Misfits lose twice – LEC Week 5 Recap

After some disappointing showings in earlier weeks, G2 Esports looks to be back following two convincing victories.
G2 Esports dominates

We should’ve already known that G2 Esports found some renewed strength as they channeled their inner power through the shaved head of their avatar in mid laner Caps. It’s no secret that Caps hadn’t been playing up to his usual level in recent weeks but he proved he is still among the best of the mid laners with a great performance this past weekend, playing Gwen and Lucian.

G2 Esports played both Astralis and Rogue, which wasn’t the easiest schedule in the slightest. Astralis found their form again these past two weeks and Rogue looked like the biggest contender to take first place. A strong performance by Rekkles in their first game proved to be enough for G2 Esports to get back to winning ways, as his Varus was a constant threat to Astralis.

Things didn’t stop there, as Rekkles proved he’s still the talisman G2 Esports can rely on against Rogue. Flanked by Mikyx’ Braum, Rekkles shredded through Rogue with aggressive and proactive play in classic G2 fashion. Their draft also exuded confidence and early game strength, with Wunder on the Renekton, Jankos on Diana and most notably Caps on Lucian. Thanks to their two victories this weekend G2 Esports improved their record to 6-5 and sit in 5th place.

Misfits stumble, MAD rise

Misfits Gaming fell to third place this weekend, where they’re joined by MAD Lions, both on a 7-4 record. Misfits started out their season strong but weren’t able to keep up their strong start in week 5, losing to a methodical Rogue and a scrappy Astralis. If one thing became evident against Astralis, it’s that Misfits Gaming still has some trouble translating leads into a solid endgame despite good individual performances.

The opposite is true for their game against Rogue, where they didn’t find their individual leads they usually get and got shut down by a team that came in with a solid plan, which they executed very well. Misfits Gaming is a young up-and-coming team and they’re surely talented and fun to watch, but these issues will have to be fixed if they want a shot at greatness come playoffs.

MAD Lions on the other hand seemed to be free of the issues they had before, playing more confident and shoving aside both Excel and Schalke 04. These victories prove MAD Lions still hang with the best and can dominate when it’s needed, with a key role for Humanoid and Carzzy in both matches. As the season ramps up, it seems like MAD Lions is doing the same.

Fnatic and Rogue still on top

If there is one team that keeps on surprising everybody, it’s Fnatic. Almost nobody thought they’d see the guys in orange and black at the top of the standings when the season started, with most people seeing the Summer Split as a rebuilding one. Bringing in Adam and moving Bwipo to the jungle has rejuvenated this Fnatic roster and they’ve been playing excellent, aggressive League of Legends.

They’ve shown this once more against Team Vitality, with key roles for mid laner Nisqy and Upset, who both found their groove this split and have been putting up amazing numbers. The same rang true in the match against Excel as they closed out the game and set themselves up for a 2-0 weekend, sitting on top of the Summer Split standings. Next week they’ll face Astralis and, more importantly, G2 Esports in what should be a great test of their current form.

Rogue in the meantime, despite their loss to G2 Esports, still won out in an important game over Misfits Gaming. It seems like Rogue suffers from the same issues they’ve had in the previous split, having no problems deconstructing teams and their playstyle, but when the ball is put in their field, they find difficulty in closing out games and playing more proactively, which G2 Esports showcased.

Excel and Vitality lacking

Excel had a small renaissance following the influx of talent from jungler Markoon and support Advienne, but wasn’t able to keep their upward trend going. Granted, Fnatic and MAD Lions aren’t the easiest opponents to face, but it does show Excel still need more time to grow to challenge the top tier teams. Their new look does seem better and there’s no doubt Markoon and Advienne have helped elevate their level of play.

Vitality on the other hand still has trouble translating their individual talent into wins, which was evident in their match against Fnatic. Against opponents such as SK Gaming, they have no issues at all finding the advantages they need, however. It does look like they need more of a game plan against these stronger opponents to fully capitalize on their roster.

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