The League of Legends European Championship returns with the spring split victors taking their first win.
The LEC returns after its mid-season hiatus! The casters and analysts have returned to the Riot Games studio in Berlin, although the teams still play from their houses. With this hybrid format being in use for the time being, the Summer Split officially returns with its first match, pitting spring champions G2 Esports against MAD Lions, the team who upset them in a best of five series and forced them to go through the loser’s bracket.
The match started with several fights in the top lane, where both teams got some early victories. Around the 11-minute mark, a fight broke out near the mid-lane and despite it starting with an advantage for MAD Lions, Luka "Perkz" Perković - now back in the bottom lane - turned it into a 2:2.
The game remained close until some three minutes later, where G2 not only stole a key drake from underneath the Lions’ collective nose but also beat them in the extended fight, taking a total of four kills. This was the turning point of the game and while the former rookies were able to get the occasional kill, they would never be equal on the map. G2 secured the infernal soul 23 minutes in with another teamfight where they took four kills. While actually ending the game took four more minutes, the writing was on the wall - and it said that the rest of the LEC better beware.
This has been an impressive victory for the spring split champions, who outfought their opponents in the key teamfight and never relinquished the pressure. MAD held on well enough in the opening minutes, but their composition worked poorly from behind.
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