The first round of the LEC Spring Split Playoffs delivered in a big way. Fnatic beat SK Gaming 3-1 in the elimination series, but the real action was to be found in the two Winners’ Bracket series. G2 Esports looked set to cruise past FC Schalke 04 until they dropped the third and fourth games in the series to move to a decisive fifth game. In the other series, MAD Lions upset Rogue as a moderate underdog, setting up a rematch with G2 Esports for a spot in the LEC Spring Split Finals on April 11.
2021 LEC Spring Split Playoffs Round 2 Odds
Fnatic -238
FC Schalke 04 +193
If Fnatic make it back to another split final, they will certainly earn it. An 0-3 final week of the regular season means that the second-most decorated team in Europe will have to run the gauntlet to make the final. The winner of this series will take on Rogue on Sunday, and the winner of that series will face the loser of Saturday’s series between G2 and MAD Lions for a spot in the 2021 LEC Spring Split Finals.
Everyone knew that Fnatic would show us something new in their series against SK Gaming. They didn’t disappoint with Bwipo taking Karma into the top lane twice, Selfmade taking Volibear into the jungle twice, and Nisqy taking Lucian into the mid lane twice. Fnatic won all of those games, so you can be sure they will prioritize all of those picks in their series against Schalke.
However, Hylissang continues to be a hot or cold player in the bottom lane. When Hylissang is on, he can win lane in a big way and set up his teammates with his roams. However, his overaggressive nature can backfire at times too.
Schalke showed us something that no one expected in their series against G2. Brokenblade is known for having a deep champion pool, and he pulled a Darius out of his pocket in that series. He went 2-1 with a 5.3 KDA on the champion, and that led to the top laner leading his team in KDA per Games of Legends.
That gives the German organization hope they can pull off the upset. It’s been an incredibly tumultuous season for Schalke, but a win over Fnatic would prove that this organization is moving in the right direction.
G2 Esports -476
MAD Lions +352
We saw MAD Lions stun G2 in the Winners’ Bracket last spring. The Lions sent G2 to the Losers’ Bracket, forcing them to win two additional series before facing Fnatic in the finals. However, G2 avenged that defeat with wins over MAD Lions in the spring and summer playoffs, playing a part in this team missing out on Worlds.
MAD Lions found something that worked against Rogue last week. Humanoid jumped on Orianna when he wasn’t allowed to play Twisted Fate or another assassin, and Carzzy thrived on hyper carries in the bottom lane. He ended up doing 33.1% of his team’s damage on Jinx, Vayne, and Kaisa.
The real difference makers were top laner Armut and jungler Elyoya though. Armut has been incredibly versatile in his LEC debut, while Elyoya may just be the next great jungler the region produces.
This G2 squad was supposed to be the most talented team Europe has ever fielded, but they aren’t the unstoppable juggernaut we saw in previous splits. Rekkles has lived up to all the hype and Caps is playing well. However, Jankos has not been at his best for prolonged periods in the jungle, and Mikyx hasn’t been great either.
That could lead to another MAD Lions upset, as it’s clear this team has a full understanding of the meta following last week’s performance.
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