SK Gaming vs Splyce

For our second match of the day we have a pretty exciting clash between Splyce and SK Gaming. This isn't exactly a top-tier clash per se, even though both teams have ample potential. Splyce are already sitting near the very top of the region, although they're somewhat struggling.

They're were unable to continue their solid streak after the first two weeks of competitive play, as they fell against both G2 Esports as well as Schalke 04 last week. Their loss to G2 Esports was pretty much expected, however they needed the win over Schalke if they wanted to make a case for them being a contender in the making. By losing, they're basically cementing their gatekeeper status -- for the time being, that is. There's no shame in being a strong-ish mid-tier competitor, but they have the potential to aim for much more.

When you deconstruct the team lane-by-lane, it's hard not to see their innate strength. A stellar veteran in the top lane that's still capable of going blow-for-blow with the "young kids on the block", an incredibly creative jungler that's also cerebral and has a deep champion pool, a young mid laner that's showing a ton of promise, and an incredibly potent bottom lane duo that's perhaps a bit inconsistent but strong regardless.

They were able to hold their own against G2 Esports last week, which was definitely a good sight of the things to come. Xerxe was incredibly impactful on Aatrox, and even though G2 played around Caps this was a rare instance of that gameplan not working particularly well. Splyce's bottom lane duo was, on the other hand, a sore weakness. They were completely outclassed by their G2 counterparts, which eventually gave them a sizeable lead. It wasn't a close nor a particularly dominant showing from G2, but they were able to best Splyce in the late game through some insane team fighting. Splyce couldn't keep up, and that was all she wrote for the boys in grey and yellow. Their game against Schalke 04 wasn't much better, as they were able to keep up throughout the game when it came to tempo and team fighting, but Schalke were just a bit faster and more cohesive when it mattered the most.

In the end, Splyce received two losses in two days, and ended the week with an acceptable 3W-3L record. Looking ahead, they want some redemption, and they're going to be able to get it against SK Gaming and perhaps even Misfits on Saturday.

SK Gaming, on the other hand, badly need a win in order to get back into any kind of contention. They're solid, there's no doubt about that, but they're simply not strong enough to compete with the very top of the LEC. That doesn't mean that they won't be able to do so further down the line, but that's further down the line.

Their biggest problem right now is the fact that they haven't shown much other than Selfmade, and it's probably not due to a lack of trying. They made their game against Origen a close affair, it was back and forth from the very get-go, but it simply wasn't enough. They all played fairly well, but they made crucial mistakes in the mid and late stages of the game, and even though Pirean and Selfmade played out of their minds, it was to no avail. Origen were simply a bit faster and more cohesive when it mattered, in those split-second hectic five-on-five team fights. SK's macro was also somewhat mediocre, and even though they contested nearly all key objectives, they rarely set them up in the correct way. That's something they can (and will) work on, but it's still important to highlight. Even though they're strong individually, when it comes to more layered strategic elements of play they tend to fumble and make mistakes.

And against top-tier opposition, a small opening is all it takes in order to lose the game.

We're going with Splyce on this one. They deserve the benefit of the doubt, and they shouldn't have too big of a problem in taking SK Gaming down. While it might not be particularly dominant or clean, they should get the job done. If things go to the late game, and if it's a closely contested match, their experience and mental fortitude in key situations should be the determining factor.