MAD Lions KOI crush GiantX and advance to next round of LEC Winter Split Playoffs

AdminFebruary 11, 2024

0 93 4 minutes read

This first round of the Losers Bracket continued with a Bo3 between MAD Lions KOI and GiantX. Elyoya and his teammates had no trouble winning this meeting, crushing GiantX with a score of 2-0, thus qualifying for the next round of qualifiers where they will face Team Vitality.

GiantX transparent

The rest of the LEC Winter Split 2024 playoffs continue this Saturday, February 10, with Round 1 of the Losers’ Bracket, where each match is crucial to the survival of competing teams. The second clash of the day promises to be intense, with two Spanish teams pitting GiantX against MAD Lions KOI in a decisive Bo3. The winners of this Bo3 meeting will not only extend their venture into the playoffs but will also get a chance to face Team Vitality in Round 2 of the losers’ bracket. For the losers, however, this winter will end the tour in Split. This clash between GiantX and MAD Lions KOI therefore promises to be an enthralling duel, where each team will try to prove its worth and bounce back after a tough start to the playoffs.

GiantX had arguably one of the most relevant performances among the eight teams present in the first round of the upper bracket, after a disappointing matchup against G2 Esports. The Spanish side suffered a crushing defeat after just under 23 minutes – the shortest match so far this Winter Split – but also against the reigning European champions, showing a questionable level of play and insufficient team cohesion. For its part, MAD Lions KOI is coming off a close match against Fnatic, where the victory came down to the wire, showing the extent to which details and small mistakes can be crucial at this level of competition. Despite this loss, MAD Lions KOI showed signs of improvement week after week, showing clear potential as the team developed cohesively and took control early in the game.

Game 1

The first round of Bo3 between MAD Lions and GiantX began at a relatively calm pace, with both teams measuring each other without taking any unnecessary risks. However, the match quickly gained intensity with the first skirmish at the botlane in the 9th minute, where MAD took advantage to win their skirmish. The win not only set the tone for the rest of the game, but also began to bridge the gap between the two teams. In the 11th minute, another 3v3 clash took place, this time again won by MAD, who capitalized on their earlier advantage to take two more kills and the first dragon. This ability to convert wins into objectives allowed MAD Lions to dominate the laning phase, building a 3k gold lead 15 minutes into the game. The team executed their strategy brilliantly, setting up an effective snowball that quickly escaped GiantX’s control.

As the game progressed, MAD turned this bout into a true show of force, literally crushing GiantX under constant pressure. Their lead exploded to 10k gold in the 22nd minute, when they got their first Nashor, a key goal that gave them the means to push for victory. Armed with the Nashor buff, MAD stormed into the GiantX base, proceeding without encountering any significant resistance to destroy the Nexus in just 23 minutes of play. In summary, the MAD Lions put on an impressive performance. For GiantX, who closed out the game without a single hit on the clock, the loss represented a significant challenge to overcome in the following rounds.

Game 2

In the second set of their series against GiantX, MAD started the game by applying heavy pressure from the opening moments, although this aggression was somewhat dampened by a few errors and overconfidence. These minor weaknesses temporarily slowed their progress in conquering the dominant position. However, the Spaniards quickly remedied the situation and marked the turning point with a winning team fight in the 13th minute, giving them a substantial lead of 3k gold. Gradually, MAD gained momentum by implementing a snowball strategy. Although their dominance was not as overwhelming as in the first round, they maintained control of the game and showed undeniable tactical mastery.

In the 21st minute, another victorious top-side jungle team battle paved the way for Nashor Cole. GiantX tried to challenge this goal but was massively outclassed in the clash. A few minutes later the same scenario occurred as MAD again headed towards Nashor. GiantX tried to contest again, initially succeeding in holding off the MAD Lions. However, by chasing too far, GiantX finds itself trapped and destroyed in a decisive team fight. Taking advantage of this victory, the MAD Lions secured Nashor and used the buff to launch a final attack on the enemy base, thus winning the round and ending the series with a 2-0 victory. For GiantX, this defeat marks the end of their journey in this series.