Fnatic vs exceL

This is where things get a lot more interesting. Fnatic taking on EXCEL Esports is still, at its core, a pretty one-sided affair, but at least it'll be a bit more competitive and even than the three games that'll come before it. The boys in black and orange are still expected to get away with the win (in quite commanding fashion, no less), but EXCEL could, by all means, turn this into a brawl and put on a show.

Ultimately, though, there's very little they'll be able to do to find (let alone exploit) any chinks in Fnatic's armor. Now, make no mistake: Fnatic are heavily flawed and, at times, horrendously out of sync, but they're still one of the best teams in Europe and can offset their lacking synergy with some astounding individual talent. The things these boys were able to do have left no one indifferent. And that's especially true for Upset and Hylissang, undoubtedly the best bottom lane duo in the West. These two giants, in particular, have been instrumental in getting Fnatic ahead, each in their own right. Hyli is the one setting things up and getting his entire team ahead with constant roaming and picture-perfect engages, whereas Upset always tends to shine come mid and later stages of the game, when he's all farmed up and has a few items to work with. His pristine positioning and exceptional damage output have always given Fnatic a fighting chance, even when they were at what seemed like an insurmountable deficit.

They're one of the biggest favorites to win the split for a reason, and there's little (if anything) that EXCEL will be able to do to stop them. They'll certainly try, of course, but it's not going to be enough. How could it, after all? Both of these teams have very rigid, entrenched roles within the LEC. Fnatic's is one of dominance and winning. EXCEL, on the other hand, have never made the playoffs; they've never finished any higher than seventh place. Their story is one of absolute mediocrity and underwhelming League of Legends.

Of course Fnatic are going to win. The outcome of this game was never put into question. Whether it'll be a dominant, one-sided showing, however, still remains to be seen. They haven't been particularly consistent, which means EXCEL could, potentially, make this a bit more competitive than the odds would imply.