FC Schalke 04 vs Rogue

For our first match of the day we have a rather interesting clash between Schalke 04 and Rogue. Now, this is definitely not going to take the "match of the day" honors, but it should be a fun scrap nonetheless.

Now, both of these two teams are at opposite ends of the playoff spectrum. Schalke are a solid, layered threat that can tango with the very best the LEC has to offer. They're a bona fide contender, they have a fair bit of potential and are looking to create as much hype and momentum as they possibly can coming into the playoffs. They're locked in, so they're playing without pressure, but they also want to secure the best possible rank in order to get a favorable match-up coming into the quarterfinals.

They're still not as capable and threatening to the upper echelon of the LEC, but they're darn close, and they're improving with each passing week. They're entering this clash as the clear-cut favorites, and with good reason.

Rogue, on the other hand, are within close proximity of the Top 6. They actually have a chance (mathematically speaking) of reaching the playoffs, but the odds are definitely stacked against them. Their schedule going forward is nightmarish, to say the least, but they're not the kind to shy away from a challenge, that's for sure.

While they definitely lack the strength and overall potential to take a team of Schalke's caliber down, they definitely have the right tools in order to make this into one insanely competitive affair. Whether or not that'll happen still remains to be seen, but they're definitely not an easy challenger -- not in the slightest, especially if they get off on the right foot.

In the end, we simply have to side with Schalke 04 on this one. We have to give them our full benefit of the doubt after witnessing their clean and commanding play over the last couple of weeks. When they're up against a behemoth they tend to lose more often than not, but against anyone ranked below them, they're more than capable of getting the job done.