League of Legends: LEC Playoffs Preview: Fnatic vs. Team Vitality
Relentless Pursuit – Rekkles vs. Attila
With 4 EU LCS trophies under his belt, Rekkles is by far the most experienced and accomplished AD Carry Europe has ever seen. Year-on-year we expect Fnatic’s marksman to be surpassed and year-on-year we’re proved wrong by the time playoffs come around and here we are again. Fans and analysts have discussed the likes of Upset, Kobbe and even Perkz overthrowing the Swedish bottom laner and taking the crown of “EU’s best ADC” this season and playoffs provide the perfect opportunity for Rekkles to reaffirm his superiority for the third Split in a row.
Rekkles has been Fnatic’s most consistent member during this season and, with the exception of a crazy 0/6/0 Sivir game in Week 2, has been an extremely reliable carry for his team. Not only that, it seems Rekkles has put work in to improve his laning phase in recent weeks, with both him and Hylissang picking up a number of 2v2 kills towards the back end of the Split and having the highest GD@15 (+559) of any marksman in the LEC. Combine this with his exceptional proficiency in teamfights, and you could confidently assert that Fnatic’s marksman has been one of, if not the highest rated ADC in the LEC so far this Split.
His opponent on Friday may not be included in the discussion alongside Rekkles, Upset or Kobbe when it comes to the top AD Carries in EU, but Attila’s performances in 2018 and the LEC so far have shown that he is capable of competing with the best. Despite being the third priority in Vitality’s triple carry set-up, Attila is a consistent player in both the laning phase and teamfights.
Everything points towards Rekkles coming out on top in this bottom lane match-up, but it could present an opportunity for Attila to make a statement and challenge the top marksmen in Europe. We all know that if Rekkles gets his hands on a late game carry, like Tristana, then the damage he can do could be immense, especially in playoffs when he’s known to find another gear.
LEC Playoffs Prediction: Fnatic Win
Following their winning streak in the regular season the momentum in the Fnatic camp will be at an all-time high and the only motivation they’ll require heading into this game is the prospect of meeting G2 in Rotterdam to defend their crown. The pressure will be on Fnatic’s top side of the map to maintain cool heads and prevent Vitality from snowballing the game out of control. If Broxah can replicate his Week 6 performance and shut Mowgli down early, then Fnatic will be in an extremely strong position.
The onus is on the solo laners of Fnatic to match their opposite numbers and help Broxah control the map, particularly Nemesis who may be feeling the pressure of his first ever LEC playoff appearance. If Fnatic can get through the early game unscathed, then they have a terrific chance of getting one step closer to defending their European crown.
Fnatic may be the favourites heading into Friday’s game, but Vitality are by no means a bad line-up. By finishing the regular season in 5th and taking down a number of top teams along the way, they’ve proven they’re capable of competing with the best EU teams this Split. In order to provide an upset this weekend, Vitality will be looking to shut down Fnatic early. Utilising Jiizuke’s talent in the 1v1 and targeting Fnatic’s inexperienced mid laner could be an avenue for success.
Most importantly, the focal point for Vitality’s early game aggression and success so far this season has been Cabochard. The 1v1 between Vitality’s top laner and Bwipo could be the deciding factor for the first LEC playoff game on Friday and both will have to be at the top of their game to shut down their opponent. The Fnatic v Team Vitality match-up is poised to be an intense battle between two extremely strong teams and it promises to be an exciting spectacle on Friday evening.
dark. Next. Who should be the LCS Spring Split MVP?
Disagree with my LEC playoffs predictions? Feel free to flash the #VITWIN in the comments below!