Fnatic vs Splyce

For our first match of the day we have an incredibly exciting clash between Splyce and Fnatic. Now, this is a strange game to predict, by all means, and for reasons you'd maybe least expect.

Splyce were able to end last week on a high note -- a 2-0 at this level of play is reason to celebrate, especially for a team that failed to leave a mark in 2018. That said, those two wins didn't come easy. Not in the slightest. Their game against SK Gaming was a hard-fought one from the very get-go. They were slightly better on an individual level, but SK brought the fight to them. It was a fiesta of a game, by all accounts, but it was an exciting one regardless. Splyce were able to emerge victorious basically thanks to their stellar five-on-five late game team fighting -- something they're known for, however, their early game play still leaves a lot to be desired.

Splyce played on the razor's edge, but when it mattered the most, when those hectic fights broke out, they knew what to do. Humanoid, in particular, played exceptionally well. And in true Splyce fashion, it was the longest game of the split. Wouldn't be a Splyce game if it didn't go ultra late.

As for their game against Misfits, you could definitely call it an upset. They weren't favored to win, and in a way they shouldn't have. It was an extremely close back-and-forth fight, with both teams going all out. Splyce were a bit faster on the map, but Misfits weren't slacking either. After a fantastic Baron fight went in the favor of Misfits, it seemed like it was game over for the boys in black and yellow. But against all odds, they managed to to what they do best -- capitalize through small openings in the late game. After catching a couple of Misfits' members out of position they pushed their lead through and managed to close out the game in pretty incredible fashion.

Going forward, they're a solid contender. They're capable and fearless, although somewhat one-dimensional. Will they improve with time? Perhaps. They definitely don't have to, at least not in order to reach the playoffs. They're sitting at three wins and three losses, and they're going to be a tough challenger for anyone to crack. Against top-tier opposition, they're going to struggle if they don't impose their own playstyle. Anyone other than G2 Esports, Schalke 04, and Team Vitality, however, is fair game.

Which brings us to Fnatic. Oh how the mighty have fallen. With just two wins behind their belts, the playoffs seem to be an unreachable fantasy for the team that stood at the top of the world just mere months ago. Even though they were able the channel some vintage Fnatic a couple of days ago against Excel Esports and even get the win, it still wasn't particularly impressive at this level of play.

They have a ton of holes in their game, and they're making mistakes on an individual level almost non-stop. They might be able to step up and become an acceptable mid-tier team, but even that optimistic scenario is weeks away from potentially happening.

Their loss to G2 Esports, on the other hand, was absolutely crushing, regardless if you're a Fnatic fan or not. When the sixth minute came, Fnatic were already at a two thousand gold deficit. Talk about quick. It was an absolute slaughter, and if you took the nameplates off, you would have thought it was a clash between five synced up professional players and five random dudes that were brought off the street. Fnatic basically did nothing, and watching them fumble and get outclassed in all facets of play against the undefeated G2 was a painful sight. In the end, it was the fastest win in the history of the region. That's six years of competitive play, twelve long splits. Downright embarrassing.

They're playing a lot worse as well. These are still Worlds finalists, after all, and yet you'd never guess it by watching them play. They're sloppy, reactive, out of sync, and scared.

We're going with Splyce on this one. They're entering with a fair amount of hype and momentum, and if they were able to take down an aggressive, game Misfits, there's no reason as to why they shouldn't be able to do so against an underperforming Fnatic. That doesn't mean that it'll be easy or clean, because Fnatic rarely go down without a fight. Except when fighting G2, that is. The fact that we're entering a completely new (and highly impactful) patch does make this game a somewhat level playing field, but Splyce should have the edge regardless.