Team Vitality vs Astralis

We're really glad that the current meta is as flexible and entertaining as it is. If that weren't the case, matches like this one would be downright insufferable. The gap between these two teams is so large we might as well call it a canyon -- a chasm that is never going to narrowed. If Vitality were to play with their dominant hands tied behind their backs, then (and only then) would Astralis stand a chance.

Are we being a bit too harsh here? Not really, given just how dreadful the boys in red have been thus far. They've done next to nothing to warrant our trust, and it's been like that for *years*. We might as well call them out for it. This Astralis line-up isn't exactly abysmal, but it's not far off either. Players like WhiteKnight and Zanzarah are better than they're given credit for, and Dejor, too, hasn't been all that bad for a player with so little competitive experience.

They're still a bottom-dweller, of course, but they can actually play some relatively solid League of Legends. The biggest problem, however, is that they're competing in one of the most competitive and stacked regions in the world, and also the fact that basically all of their peers have more talent and a higher skill ceiling. A good chunk of the blame has to fall on the coaching staff and the organization as well, but pointing fingers at this point in time feels rather redundant. A complete and utter restructuring will need to happen for Astralis to ever stand a chance of growing and, therefore, transcending their current (and seemingly immutable) position in the LEC.

With that being said, Vitality are also prone to making egregious mistakes at the most random of moments. They might be better in every conceivable fashion, but they're still quite fallible and, at times, out of sync. Astralis could, therefore, turn this into a brawl and, in doing so, give Vitality a run for their money (at least in the early game). In any case, it's worth tuning into. It'll either be a skirmish-heavy bloodbath or a one-sided shellacking, and we're okay with either one!