FC Schalke 04 vs Team Vitality

For our second quarterfinal match of the week, we have a rather exciting clash between Schalke 04 and Team Vitality. Both teams have had their ups and downs over the years, but neither really managed to transcend their inherent gatekeeper status and actually leave a long-lasting mark on the region.

Vitality *did* have that one incredible surge when they were able to lock down a ticket to the World Championship, but other than that, they were constantly shackled to a rather thankless position: always near the very top of the region and yet never capable enough in order to become a bona fide top-tier team.

Having flashes of brilliance is great, but if they are unable to maintain a certain level of play (or excellence, rather), then all of it is in vain. If they can't control the outcome of the game, if they're constantly hoping for "the good days" and are unwilling to step up when it matters the most, then they're perpetually bound to mediocrity.

By the same token, Schalke didn't achieve much either. A couple of triumphs on home soil is nothing to write home about, although they did occupy much of the same tier as Vitality did over the last year or so. That said, their most recent level of play is highly respectable, to say the least. Once the regular portion of the split was done, they were sitting in sole possession of fourth place, right behind G2 Esports, Fnatic and Splyce. Now, that might not sound particularly mindblowing, but in a hyper-competitive region such as the LEC, securing such a high rank is nothing short of astonishing.

While they were not without fault, the fact that they were able to maintain a certain level of play throughout the season allowed them to distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack and actually be deemed as a solid, well-rounded competitor, a team that has the tools to compete with anyone in the region.

This one Best of 5, however, is somewhat uneven in terms strength and overall potential. Both of these two teams are entering today's match with different amounts of hype and momentum. Schalke, albeit somewhat inconsistent, is actually considered as a challenger. A team that could, by all means, challenge for the LEC throne (although their chances of success are rather slim, if not non-existent). Vitality, on the other hand, barely got into the playoffs. Perhaps that's even an understatement.

They improved just in the nick of time and had considerable luck as well. In fact, one could argue that they didn't even deserve to be here. Regardless, they are a solid threat. You can never actually count them out, which means they always have a puncher's chance. They might not be as commanding, dominant, aggressive or capable as Vitality of yesteryear, but they're still the same experienced players that are prone to making highlight reels and carnivorous rule-bending plays.

Vitality, even at their worst, are the best kind of dark horse. When it comes to betting, however, they're the nightmare scenario as you never know what's going to happen. They're also somewhat fragile mentally so if they don't start off on the right foot they're bound to crumble. They're a momentum-based team, and that, depending on the state of the game and their opponent, can either be a huge problem or a negligible fact.

In the end, we have to side with Schalke 04 on this one. There's no reason to doubt them quite frankly. They've shown more potential and consistency over the last couple of months, and they have all the right tools in order to lock down a spot in the Top 4. How much they're going to struggle against Vitality is a completely different matter. They could, by all means, dominate and win in clean 3-0 fashion, or they might barely eke out a win. Regardless, it should be one heck of series.