SK Gaming vs exceL

Another weird match-up for us to break down. On paper, it's about as lopsided a clash as it gets -- a match-up between a playoff contender and a quintessential bottom-feeder. There's really no reason to tune in, right? Well, it's not that simple, and we, for one, are not particularly happy for that being so. Generally speaking, we're all up for a more competitive state of affairs, but only if it comes naturally.

We're not, however, partial to teams regressing without any apparent reason. The fact that EXCEL have failed to beat Astralis is tremendously upsetting. The thing is, we just expected more from them after the first three weeks of play, that's all. They were downright incredible from the very start and yet none of their staggering ability was on display throughout their clash with Astralis.

Why that's so is anyone's guess. It *is* just a single game, granted, so there's really no reason for anyone to read too much into it, but still -- if you're a team with high hopes and playoffs aspiration, dropping a game to Astralis is about as depressing a twist as one can imagine. They, too, are a capable team, but they're also limited in terms of potential and have a bunch of players who haven't been relevant in what feels like forever. They're seasoned veterans who are way past their prime. They're not, therefore, expected to compete on even footing with a revitalized and seemingly surging team like EXCEL.

Much of the same goes for SK, too. They embarrassed the defending LEC champions and they did so with incredible ease. Sertuss, in particular, smacked both caPs *and* Jankos as if it were the easiest thing in the world. Was it just a one-off thing? We'll find out soon enough, but they're obviously a lot more dangerous than anyone expected and have definitely made the region take notice with their staggering performance against G2.

Who'll come out on top here is basically impossible to predict; it'll all depend on the way in which they end up drafting and, perhaps most importantly, their early game execution. EXCEL have obviously been a lot more successful in that regard, but they, too, seem to be struggling. We'll give them the benefit of the doubt here, but we sure are wary of an upset happening.