Fnatic wins against MAD Lions in this first round of the LEC Winter Split Playoffs

AdminFebruary 5, 2024

0 83 5 minutes read

Day two of the LEC Winter Split 2023 playoffs continued with a Bo3 between MAD Lions KOI and Fnatic. At the end of the intense match, Humanoid and his team managed to get the upper hand over the Spanish players with a 2-0 win, thus securing their place in the next round of the competition.

The game is not a big level, but the main thing is victory

The LEC Winter Split 2024 playoffs continue this Sunday, February 4 with the advancement of Round 1 of the upper bracket, offering the last matchup of this stage. After a colorful first match between SK Gaming and Team Vitality, the day continues with another big matchup: MAD Lions KOI and Fnatic. The winner of this decisive Bo3 will advance to Round 2 of the playoffs to face G2 Esports, while the loser will be sent to the Losers Bracket, where they will meet GiantX. This matchup promises to be a pivotal moment for both teams, as each looks to prove their worth and extend their run in the LEC Winter Split playoffs.

MAD Lions KOI, fourth at the end of the regular season with five wins from nine matches, distinguished itself by its impressive entry into the tournament, despite making significant changes to its squad during the last transfer window. His approach to the game, characterized by marked aggression, though not always guaranteed success, has proven his ability to shake even the most experienced opponents. For its part, Fnatic is in fifth place with four wins in nine matches, behind its opponent of the day following its straight-set loss. Despite a respectable record to place in the middle of the ranking, the team did not meet expectations, especially due to a certain disregard for neutral objectives, which affected its overall performance, despite a solid reputation in the lane phase. While Fnatic enters this Bo3 with more experience, MAD Lions tend to make fewer mistakes during their games.

Game 1

Both teams enter the Rift to begin the first match of the series. Fnatic took the lead from the start of the lane phase, showing a slightly quieter start compared to previous matches. Both courses focus on lane control, vision taking and farming. By the fifteenth minute, Fnatic held a slim lead in golds and won a decisive team fight in the middle of the map, adding four eliminations to their name. The MAD Lions are ramping up their aggression in an attempt to turn things around and try to take advantage of some of Fnatic’s positioning mistakes to close their deficit in kills and gold.

As the match passed the 20 minute mark, Fnatic maintained control, although their lead remained precarious against the MAD Lions who were always threatening and ready to capitalize on the slightest mistake. Fnatic managed to secure a key elimination, showing the initiative to push MAD into an error, paving the way for their first Baron Nashor in the 25th minute. Armed with the Baron buff, the humanoid and his allies increased the pressure on the MAD Lions base. Pushing their advantage, they pierce the enemy’s defenses through the topplane and push their offensive to the end, thus winning the first round of the series.

Game 2

The second round got off to a rough start for MAD Lions, who struggled to execute their game plan against a more coordinated Fnatic from the start of the laning phase. However, the Spanish team did not give up, scoring a few kills and securing some neutral objectives. However, Fnatic remained in sight, equaling gold and claiming the first two dragons. Oskarinin is struggling during this phase under pressure from the MAD Lions, but his teammates, especially Noah/Jun, are doing well. At 20 minutes, Fnatic widened the gap to 4,000 gold against MAD Lions who seemed to be lacking a decent amount. Formed to compete with the rise of their opponents.

Despite their advantage, Fnatic took their time, spending several minutes establishing complete visual control. Both teams spent a long time staring each other down until a team fight broke out in the 27th minute. MAD Lions won this matchup thanks to the excellent positioning of their players, with Fnatic collapsing one after another due to poor positioning management. The MAD Lions then took the first possession of the game, but the Dragons struggled to take full advantage of this advantage, losing a lot of time in the challenge. The gap in gold between the two teams becomes negligible, reflecting the intensity and balance of the game, although they commit a good number of mistakes. A MAD Lions foul allows Fnatic to score two eliminations and secure Nashor. However, Fnatic was surprised to lose the Ancestral Dragon objective, adding a new twist to an already exciting game.

After more than 40 minutes in a match marked by chaos and disorder, the two teams meet again in the midlane for a battle that ends in a stalemate for both sides. Following this skirmish, MAD Lions secured Baron Nashor while Fnatic captured the Ancestor Dragon, thus launching a decisive assault on the Spanish base through the top plane. A few minutes later, a similar scene unfolds with both teams positioned around the third Elder Dragon. This time, a portion of Fnatic chooses to break away to complete a push into the MAD Lions base. Faced with the need to defend on multiple fronts, the MAD Lions struggled to hold their ground and suffered defeat in this second round.

Thus, Fnatic defeated MAD Lions KOI with a result of 2-0 and entered the next round of playoffs. The British team returns to competition tomorrow, this time taking on G2 Esports. For its part, MAD Lions KOI will go into the losers bracket next weekend to play Bo3 against GiantX.