Team Vitality has a problem
Fnatic and Rogue Remain Undefeated After Week 1
The LEC kicked off with fifteen games spread over three days. Now they are over, Rogue and Fnatic remain at the top undefeated, while G2 Esports and MAD Lions are in hot pursuit. Meanwhile, Team Vitality have struggled - when will the superteam bounce back?
The starting week of the LEC featured five more games on Sunday evening with the bout between MAD Lions and G2 Esports. Before that, we saw Misfits Gaming defeat Team BDS, Excel Esports get on the board with a somewhat unexpected win against Team Vitality, and Fnatic and Rogue secure the wins that would keep them on the top of the table after the first three games.
Second Victory for Misfits
The opening game featured Misfits Gaming taking on Team BDS. The match started well for the newcomers, who got two early leads, but Misfits would eventually overcome them. While Ilias "NUCLEARINT" Bizriken's Syndra had a good start, it was not enough to turn the game back and Misfits secured a quick win after an ace 23 minutes in.
Vitality's Poor Form Continues
Team Vitality faced Excel Esports in what fans hoped would be their first win of the season. Excel took the first blood, but the teams remained quite even for most of the early game. In the mid-game, however, Vitality struggled once more, losing several dragons and the Baron to their opponents. Even outsmiting Excel for the Elder Dragon was not enough as the team was left too low was then aced, handing Excel their first win in spring.
No Upsets in Astralis-Rogue Game
The next game had Rogue take on Astralis and despite a close start, a small mistake for Kasper "Kobbe" Kobberup in the bot lane turned disastrous for his team, who were soon 3K gold behind. Even some heroics by Nikolay "Zanzarah" Akatov on Viego were not enough to even the game and Rogue’s gold lead and solid teamfighting netted them a quick win.
Fnatic Leaves No Chance for SK Gaming
The third time was the charm for Fnatic finally nailing their early game as they started strong against SK Gaming. The German squad narrowed the deficit in the early game with some clutch punishes, but what looked like a good catch turned disastrous 25 minutes in as Fnatic collapsed and used their area damage to secure three kills and, soon, the Baron. Six minutes later, they would rout SK near the respawned objective and push into their base to end the game.
MAD Lions have G2's Number Again
After two victories in the opening days, G2 Esports found themselves challenged by the 2021 champions. Newcomer William "UNF0RGIVEN" Nieminen had a good start on Jinx and he showed his carry chops in the mid-game, helping MAD take several big teamfights and secure an early Baron. G2 thought they had caught MAD overextending 25 minutes in, but good play by the champions found them slipping away and then reengaging to get two kills and push in for the win.
Read More:
- LEC Brings Surprises and Comebacks on Day 2 of the Superweek
- Wins for the Favorites as the LEC Starts
- Players to Watch in Spring 2022
The LEC continues on Friday, January 21st. Make sure to follow our coverage for more League news and analysis!