Fnatic vs MAD Lions

Next up, we have an absolute barnburner: Fnatic vs. MAD Lions is guaranteed to deliver in all the right ways. There's just no other way of putting it, really. We're talking about a clash between two exceptional teams, both of which have the tools and the talent to compete for a spot at the very top of the region. No one's predicting them to beat G2 Esports any time soon, but they'll come darn close, that's for sure. How could they not, with such staggering amounts of talent within their line-ups?

Fnatic is pretty much always favored to win whenever they're scheduled to face someone other than the LEC champions, and this time things are no different. Still, the gap between them and MAD Lions isn't nearly as wide or monumental as the odds would suggest. By all means, Fnatic can easily lose this game if they don't manage to impose their own playstyle early on, dictate the pace of the game, and contain Elyoya from start to finish. Right now, at the time of this writing, Fnatic is pretty exceptional, although they're still rough around the edges, as evidenced by their loss to Vitality yesterday. That was just another reminder that there are no guarantees in the LEC and that no one should be underestimated. Fnatic, especially because of their current playstyle, are often a bit too vulnerable. They go for these wild swings which invariably leaves them open for counters. They're also devilishly aggressive and sometimes, depending on whom they're up against, such tendencies end up backfiring big time. Still, they're an absolute joy to watch and whenever they draft to their strengths and start off on the right foot, they're a force to be reckoned with.

By the same token, MAD Lions have quickly grown into a bona fide challenger, despite having a somewhat underwhelming start of the season. They're by no means ready to challenge for the LEC throne, but they're exceptional in more ways than one, and the last time they fought against Fnatic we were blessed with one of the most mind-blowing games of the year. It was back and forth from start to finish, with MAD Lions eventually turning the tides of battle in their favor. It didn't come easy, though, and they were on the backfoot for the vast majority of the game. Fnatic had all the tools to get the win but they failed to execute in the mid game and it cost them dearly. Will they make the same mistake twice? It's impossible to know at this point in time, but you can bet they're motivated beyond reason to get revenge and in doing so separate themselves from MAD Lions in the standings.

We're at the halfway point of the split which means each and every game going forward matters immensely. A single win or loss can end up being the difference between reaching the playoffs or waiting things out on the sidelines. There's a lot on the line, and both of these teams know it. They're also in contention for Top 3 so expect both line-ups to be on their best behavior. In the end, we'll side with Fnatic on this one, but it's about as far from a guaranteed win as possible. In any case, a memorable clash is all but guaranteed!