The race for the first MSI 2024 slot was in full swing after two indomitable LEC teams, MAD Lions KOI vs Fnatic, faced off in the first quarterfinals match of the season!
Doubts that surrounded MDK’s arduous journey this split dissipated once the rookie roster took to the Playoffs stage as one of the top 4. That said, their star jungler Elyoya had serious competition going into this best-of-five series, considering their seasoned opponents and the bot lane’s importance. Since the form of both teams were almost identical, scaling dictated each match in a big way, and it ultimately ended with an unexpected victor.
Here’s our complete playoffs recap for MAD Lions KOI vs Fnatic, a battle of the junglers!
HUGE fight for @MADLionsKOI_en! #LEC pic.twitter.com/P9kbK5mAJQ
— LEC (@LEC) February 16, 2024
MAD Lions KOI vs Fnatic Recap – Game 1
Huge threats from Fnatic’s corner put them at an advantage in the draft, especially with Humanoid’s comfort pick on Orianna. That said, they still needed to keep an eye on Elyoya’s Xin Zhao, who was the point of the spear in MDK’s poke comp.
After a lengthy slugfest, both teams seemed evenly-matched. But after Razork secured two consecutive dragons, the boys in orange used the gold advantage to win trades and set up for Nashor. Things were looking good for Fnatic before Myrwin strategically seperated Oscarinin from the pack, letting the rest of MDK swoop in and audaciously steal the Baron buff.
From there, MDK forced some fights and put their position at risk. But eventually, they secured Infernal drake and balanced the score before winning another Baron and taking the ace that decided Match 1.
Quick Stats:
- Teams: MDK 1 – 0 FNC
- Time: 31:28
- Kills: 18 – 14
- Turrets: 8 – 14
- Gold: 60.4k – 52.2k
- Dragons: 1 – 3
- Barons: 2 – 0
MAD Lions KOI vs Fnatic Recap – Game 2
Playing red side and fast-scaling comfort champs gave Fnatic the clear advantage, and it showed as the black-and-orange roster stomped the competition in their most dominating match win yet.
After Oscarinin, Razork, Humanoid, Noah and Jun took the first 5 kills of the game six minutes in, things looked very rough for MDK. And despite securing one of the dragons, MAD Lion KOI’s team comp didn’t have enough stopping power to keep Fnatic from snowballing any further.
Fights across the map continued to end in MDK getting sent back to fountain. Needless to say, it was a massacre. And with no more tricks to pull out of their hat, MDK was forced to stay on the defense as the game eventually went to the obvious victor.
Quick Stats:
- Teams: FNC 1 – 1 MDK
- Time: 28:52
- Kills: 22 – 6
- Turrets: 10 – 5
- Gold: 57.6k – 50.3k
- Dragons: 3 – 1
- Barons: 1 – 0
MAD Lions KOI vs Fnatic Recap – Game 3
Myrwin’s top-lane pocket pick led to an explosive 5v5 in the first seconds of Game 3 that ended in the first 3 kills going to blue side
One more fast kill on Osca gave MDK a clear lead early on. And after MDK Fresskowy found a fight in midlane, they officially flipped the script from Game 2. By the time Fnatic found their first kill, Elyoya was already on a killing spree.
Despite a numbers disadvantage, Fnatic were able to take a few kills but lost a ton of plates as a result. All the while, Myrwin scaled into a very dangerous Varus 12 minutes in.
When Fnatic was starting to find their footing, Fresskowy consistently made impactful plays on Gragas to keep MDK two steps ahead. But what really kept their lead safe was Ivern’s utility, a wall no ward could break. After a while, Elyoya and co. were able to break into Fnatic’s base and secure the third win of the bo5 series.
Quick Stats:
- Teams: MDK 2 – 1 FNC
- Time: 37:09
- Kills: 31 – 19
- Turrets: 10 – 3
- Gold: 75.6k – 66.4k
- Dragons: 4 – 1
- Barons: 2 – 0
MAD Lions KOI vs Fnatic Recap – Game 4
Close teamfights kept the early-game score extremely even, prompting both rosters to play conservatively. After a risky constest for Infernal Drake, Fnatic was able to flawlessly steal a dragon before chasing enemy stragglers into their side of the map. But MDK’s tenacity found another moment to shine.
In an impressive turn of events, fans stayed on the edge of their seats as Elyoya, Supa and Fresskowy fought ferociously behind enemy lines long enough for their allies to respawn, join the teamfight and flip the script.
After Razork denied MDK’s Soul point in a sublime dive with Zac, the rest of Fnatic banded together to take 3 more kills. As their deficit grew, so did MDK’s hesitance to commit to an impactful play, which let Fnatic equalize the score.
Quick Stats:
- Teams: FNC 2 – 2 MDK
- Time: 41:20
- Kills: 23 – 12
- Turrets: 8 – 5
- Gold: 76.2k – 67.4k
- Dragons: 4 – 3
- Barons: 1 – 0
MAD Lions KOI vs Fnatic Recap – Game 5
Both teams opted for meta-heavy picks that packed a punch in drawn-out teamfights to grab any early-game lead they could.
The final match of the series was down to the wire as both camps dished out equally strong plays that kept the score tied althroughout. And after trading towers, it was clear that midlane was going to be the deciding factor in this LEC slugfest.
The final outplay came from MDK when they coralled Fnatic into their top-side jungle before making a beeline towards their last mid turret. From there, a fateful pick on Oscarinin gave Myrwin all the space he needed to take control of the fight and win the last clash before taking down the 5th and final nexus.
Quick Stats:
- Teams: MDK 3 – 1 FNC
- Time: 33:23
- Kills: 10 – 6
- Turrets: 7 – 5
- Gold: 58.9k – 60.0k
- Dragons: 2 – 3
- Barons: 0 – 1
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