It’s another LEC Superweek in store for European fans. With Fnatic v MAD Lions was a clear standout on day one.
With a clear picture starting to develop in the LEC Winter Split, Week 3 adds yet more spice. SK v Astralis will see the second-place side look to put pressure on first, while AST desperately looks to climb the table. BDS v G2 pits two sides in joint-second together as one looks to climb. Meanwhile, the game of the day sees FNC take on MAD. The latter is sitting in second, while the former is struggling on just two wins from the opening six games.
SK Gaming v Astralis
A big game for both sides, with SK looking to push for top spot, while SK is desperate to pick up a second win. It was the start AST wanted, though. Claiming first blood and heaping the pressure onto AST early. Once they took hold, SK kicked it up a gear. By 12:15, they found another 6 kills and a 3k gold lead. With Baron on the map, SK had moved to a 4k lead as AST looked to get Baron control. With Baron claimed by SK, they looked to charge down the mid lane to pick up a win.
SK held them off, but AST will come again. AST tried at around the 32:00 to get back into the game; sadly, they handed yet more kills over to AST, who looked to close the game out. A dramatic moment as AST claimed the Baron, clawing back to move into a 2k gold lead. With that, the game was flipped on its head and it was AST who took the game and claimed a massive victory.
- Teams: SK v AST
- Time: 38:36
- Kills: 16:22
- Turrets: 10-8
- Gold: 74.9k – 70k
- Dragons: 2-4
- Barons: 1-1
Excel v Heretics
XL sat bottom going into the game, so it was the perfect chance for them to pick up a win. As for TH, they are looking upwards, and XL could be the ideal prey. First blood secured by TH, as they claim a double kill on the XL bottom lane. A scrappy early game, though TH moved ahead by the 16:00 minute mark despite both sides having five kills.
From the 20:00 minute mark onwards, TH started to look dominant, as they cleared out the members of XL before claiming the Baron. Despite Baron having worn off, TH continued to assault the XL base. The top lane was the eventual entry, and it was this that allowed them to claim a big victory. It keeps XL rooted to the bottom of the LEC, while it moves TH up the table as they look to challenge for the top spots.
- Teams: XL v TH
- Time: 26:14
- Kills: 9-21
- Turrets: 1-11
- Gold: 41.6k – 55.9k
- Dragons: 1-2
- Barons: 0-1
G2 Esports v Team BDS
A big game at the top of the LEC in game 3 of the day. With BDS and G2 on equal footing, it would see one of them move away from the pack. First blood is secured by BDS in a scrappy bot lane fight that saw them get away on sub-50 HP. By the 10-minute mark, BDS had secured a 2.3k lead, with G2 lacking in the early exchanges. Just moments later, however, G2 were right back into the game, picking up kills inside their own jungle and moving to a gold lead.
G2 continued to maintain their lead, putting yet more pressure onto a BDS side looking to cling on. Baron looks to be BDS’ final stand, but they just hand kills over to G2. With multiple members of BDS down, G2 pushed into the top lane as they moved toward Baron. With Baron secured, G2 were just playing for the inevitable win here. BDS had one last chance to defend its base but it wasn’t enough. G2 claim a big victory as the former LEC Champions march on.
- Teams: G2 v BDS
- Time: 31:21
- Kills: 18-9
- Turrets: 10-5
- Gold: 62.3k – 52.3k
- Dragons: 3-2
- Barons: 1-0
Fnatic v MAD Lions
The game of the week was the billing, and despite FNC sitting near the bottom of the LEC table, it had the makings of something special. Meanwhile, MAD were looking to put pressure on VIT at the top of the LEC with a win. MAD picked up a first blood, before turning it into a 1-4 kill lead. Once they took the lead, MAD just never looked like they wanted to let go. By the 14-minute mark, MAD had a 7k gold lead, with FNC looking entirely down and out.
With Baron claimed, MAD looked to clean up shortly after the 20-minute mark. With a 10k lead, MAD had a read of FNC as their base started to fall. FNC tried to defend, but with all 3 lanes open, MAD pilled on the pressure, with FNC unable to hold. The victory pushed MAD into joint-first for now, while FNC continued to struggle.
- Teams: FNC v MAD
- Time: 24:47
- Kills: 6-14
- Turrets: 2-11
- Gold: 39.3k – 50.7k
- Dragons: 0-3
- Barons: 0-1
Vitality v KOI
Remaining at the top of the LEC, regardless of the result, VIT had some breathing room going into day one. As for KOI, they were sat near the bottom of the table and a win was very much needed. First blood was secured by KOI but instantly traded back to VIT. The game continued to be blow-for-blow for the next 17 minutes, with KOI maintaining a slight lead. This continued as KOI moved into the mid-game with a 3k lead.
KOI took a significant shift towards winning the game as they beat VIT at the Drake flip. With Elder resetting, KOI pounced on the members of VIT. Knocking down four members and two inhibitors before moving to claim the Elder. Again, VIT was forced to fight around the objective, but this time it could have spelled their defeat. With an ace secured, KOI walked into the VIT base and claimed a huge victory.
- Teams: VIT v KOI
- Time: 33:48
- Kills: 15-5
- Turrets: 9-3
- Gold: 61.2k – 52.2k
- Dragons: 4-0
- Barons: 1-0
