Rogue vs MAD Lions

This, in short, will be an absolute barnburner. Both Rogue and MAD have performed incredibly well last week and are entering this match with a metric ton of hype behind their backs. Perhaps most surprisingly, their "rookies" and newcomers were the ones that had made the biggest splash -- guys like UNF0RGIVEN, Comp, and RKR made us all take notice in the flashiest of fashions. Their more experienced teammates *did* carry their fair share of the weight, of course, but *these* individuals are the ones that have left the biggest and most last impression.

Comp and UNF0RGIVEN, in particular, have looked nigh unstoppable. The former already had a fairly short stint in the LEC, but he was unable to fully showcase his talents -- for reasons that were totally outside of his control. And, needless to say, he's hungry to right that wrong and make a statement for himself. He's been playing like a man possessed, although there *are* two key points worth mentioning: all three of his wins were on Jinx and they came at the expense of either mid-tier gatekeepers or bottom-tier dwellers. So, in all fairness, he might not be as successful or dominant against the LEC's upper echelon.

The same goes for Rogue's new jungler Malrang. He's been... serviceable, although far from great. At best you could say that he did his job without ever making any huge blunders or egregious mistakes. Not the best of starts, but far from a bad one, all things considered. We assume that he'll spread his proverbial wings and play with a lot less reserve now that his first few games are officially behind him, but that's just a guess. He will have his hands full against a prodigy like Elyoya, so don't expect any miracles as he's not favored to accomplish much once all is said and done -- especially if Elyoya comes out the gates swinging.

Both teams have looked great thus far, although it's fair to say that MAD's 2W-1L record deserves a bit more praise because they went up against a stronger level of opponent. Rogue, on the other hand, pretty much exclusively faced gatekeepers and bottom-dwellers. That doesn't mean it'll be one-sided, but MAD *are* favored here for a reason.

If both teams bring their "A game" it'll no doubt be one heck of a fight. In the end, though, we'll side with the defending champions on this one as they've been ever so slightly more decisive.