Team Vitality qualifies for 2nd round of LEC Spring Split Playoffs after win against SK Gaming

AdminApril 1, 2024

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The 2024 LEC Spring Split Playoffs kicked off with this opening match of the first round, featuring a Bo3 between Team Vitality and SK Gaming. Despite losing in the first round, the French team won with a score of 2–1. This performance allowed Vitality to qualify for the second round of the qualifiers.

Lots of mistakes from both teams

The LEC Spring Split Playoffs begin with the first round of the Upper Bracket. It will begin with two key matchups on Saturday, March 30, while the remaining two matches in the upper bracket first round will be played on the following day, Sunday, March 31. The first clash of the day sees Team Vitality take on SK Gaming in a Best of Three Set (Bo3) match. The winner of this Bo3 will advance to the second round of the playoffs and meet the winner of the match between Team Heretics and Team BDS. As for the loser, he will be sent to the loser’s bracket where he will have to face the loser of the same match, thus continuing his fight to stay in the competition.

Team Vitality, which finished the regular season in second place with a record of 6 wins to 3 losses, is seen as the favorite of this meeting and a contender for the title, after achieving a relatively impressive regular season, exceeding expectations and surpassing the performance of the Winter Split. On the other hand, SK Gaming, ranked 8th with three wins from nine matches, are not considered favorites for this match. However, with the experience and experience of its players, this team has significant assets and could spring a surprise. So she represents an opponent not to be underestimated.

Game 1

The 1st round between Vitality and SK in this Bo3 started at a furious pace, with the two teams hitting each other from the very first moments of the game. In the first ten minutes, Vitality managed to build a significant lead of over 1k gold, showing macro superiority despite a balanced kill record, leaving SK slightly ahead for catching the dragon. Despite this advantage, Vitality began to struggle as the game progressed, making more decisions and positional errors. Despite Nashor’s flight at first, these weaknesses gave SK the opportunity to catch up and turn things around. At the 25-minute mark, SK scored a solo goal, exacerbating coordination issues within the Vitality team, who were struggling to form a cohesive approach.

SK, taking advantage of this gap, increased their control of the game, gaining the upper hand in terms of financial lead before the thirtieth minute. This dynamic allowed SK to break through the vitality defense for the first time, putting the formation in a fragile position. In the minutes that followed, SK kept up their aggressive pace, relentlessly capitalizing on Vitality’s every misstep. This persistence paid off when SK, with a series of successful tactical maneuvers, broke through Vitality’s final defenses to storm its base and triumphantly capture the Nexus.

Game 2

The 2nd round got off to a flying start, with both teams competing relentlessly from the first moments of the game, despite some errors in the execution of their plays. After the opening ten minutes, the two teams were nearly even, with SK holding a slim lead in terms of gold and kills. Over time, the vitality began to show signs of weakness, especially after the first quarter of an hour, marked by accumulating positional errors. SK knew how to exploit these flaws, such as when they punished a jungler of Vitality with kills that allowed them to secure the first Nashor as soon as it became available.

Lifestyle managed to turn the tide, winning the decisive dragon fight by eliminating SK with a stunning ace. This major turning point revitalized the team, which won more than 5K gold in the 25th minute. Despite this success, Vitality’s daring attempt to recapture Nashor fails, SK manages to steal the objective. However, Vitality stayed the course, ignoring the opponent’s Baron buff to advance to SK’s base. In a chaotic series of events, where errors multiplied from both sides, Vitality finally pulled away to win the game. Team Vitality thus come back to score on SK Gaming and push for a 3rd game.

Game 3

The third and decisive round between Vitality and SK Gaming started on an aggressive note, with both teams not reticent in their means to gain the upper hand. Vitality, quickly taking the initiative, not only secured the first dragon, but also created a 1k gold gap in their favor, highlighting their determination to dominate the laning phase. Unlike previous games, Vitality were able to maintain and even extend their advantage beyond the first quarter of the hour-long game, putting SK under constant pressure. Although SK managed to score a few points by destroying turrets and getting kills, the team seemed to struggle to find a coherent response to Vitality’s offense.

In the twentieth minute, Vitality scored a major blow, winning a decisive teamfight thanks to a remarkable performance from their Jace, allowing the team to capture Nashor. Armed with the Baron buff, Vitality began an assault on the SK base, meaningfully penetrating the enemy defenses for the first time. SK Gaming, with their backs to the wall, defended fiercely, repelling several waves of vitality attacks who, in their fervor, looked reckless at times. However, in a final attack, Vitality managed to break SK’s last resistance, winning the set and the match.

At the end of a little contested meeting full of numerous mistakes and somewhat questionable plays, Team Vitality finally prevailed over SK Gaming with a score of 2-1, thus guaranteeing their progress in these qualifiers. This victory paves the way for the next stage of the playoffs. SK Gaming, despite putting up a valiant fight, finds itself relegated to the losers bracket. There, the team waits to find their next opponent, hoping to redeem themselves and continue fighting for a place in the final stages of the competition.