LEC Match of the Week Preview: G2 vs Fnatic

European giants will clash this weekend on Summoner's Rift in one of the most important matches of the LEC Summer Split. This match is none other than the one between Fnatic and G2 Esports. Both teams have historic legacies in European League of Legends and a score to settle.

This match is sure to be one for the books. The two are undefeated so far in the split and will not want to give up this crucial victory. G2 is considered to be the best team in the world, as they recently won the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational, while Fnatic has shown tremendous growth since Spring. It's an incredible task for anyone to take down G2, but Fnatic might be up to the challenge.

Team Strengths

Can G2 bleed? They have the most skilled players in the region, and perhaps even the world. At MSI they defeated a powerful SKT T1 roster and swept Team Liquid in the Finals. They have a unique style that is difficult for many teams to keep up with and they use it to great success. Their use of flex picks is top notch, utilizing picks like Ryze, Sylas and, most infamously, Pyke in multiple roles across different players.

They're known for innovation, and if drafting against them wasn't hard enough, defeating them in game is even harder. G2 play fast, constantly moving across the map to create advantages for all of their players together. On top of this exceptional teamwork, usually one lane is able to get ahead through sheer skill by outplaying their opponents. They always know what the next step towards victory is and never give their opponents a chance to breathe.

Fnatic isn't considered to be of the same caliber, but their players are certainly getting close. Broxah in particular has dominated this split, having spectacular games on champions like Elise and Lee Sin. He's responsible for getting his team off the ground early and he's great at it. In addition, Nemesis has stepped up quite a bit. He isn't the Lissandra player from last split, but the carry the team needs. He'll be playing against Caps, who is a real terror, but if the team gives him resources he can thrive.

Their bottom lane duo is another strength. The meta suits Rekkles nicely, as he is known for his late-game, scaling marksmen. Fnatic demonstrated they can smash a win through the bottom lane against Schalke 04 last week, and if they can't, Hylissang can always roam mid to pay a visit to his old teammate.

Keys to Victory

Neither team will likely have an easy victory in this match. For G2, their primary concern should be to control Broxah in the early game. He's the main reason some of their games were so dominant, and needs to be kept on a leash. Next, ensure a strong pushing lane for Perkz and Mikyx. With this, they can force Hylissang to stay in lane while having the option to set up tower dives. G2 should try to attack mid as well, as Nemesis' lack of experience can be taken advantage of by Caps and the other veterans of G2.

On the other hand Fnatic needs to make sure their solo lanes aren't counter-picked too hard. Caps and Wunder are known for their lane dominance, and though Bwipo and Nemesis are great, a bad matchup could prove fatal. Along with this it is crucial that Rekkles is on a pick like Sivir that has good wave clear, can push and can scale. His biggest strength is late game team fights, and if he can reach that stage before G2 can take their Nexus they have an advantage.

In the end, G2 is the likely victors of this game. As said before, their players are all incredibly talented and they can generally outskill their opponents in every aspect. Fnatic are no slouches, as their players are also exceptional, but G2 is on a whole other level. If Fnatic has a good day, its totally possible they can take a game off of the MSI champions. But if G2 stay on their MSI form its hard to expect anyone to take them down.

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Featured image via Game Tournaments.