MAD Lions pulled off the biggest upset of the season by defeating G2 Esports in the first round of the 2020 LEC Spring Split playoffs.
The post-season is off to an explosive start in the LEC. MAD achieved the impossible, with the rookie team taking down the defending LEC champions in a series that went to game five. After ending the regular season in first place, G2 was the favorite to go undefeated all the way to the finals. G2 picked MAD as its opponent in round one, a decision the team is likely regretting right now.
No one expected MAD to perform as well as it did through the regular season. The organization that shuttered Splyce took the LEC by storm and guaranteed at least a top-three finish in the split.
One lesson fans learned this spring is that rookies shouldn’t be underestimated. Throughout the season, MAD showed an ability to play smart and take advantage of the enemy’s mistakes.
G2 is far from perfect, with the team’s shaky early game and greediness being well-known across LoL esports’ fanbase. G2 plays a reckless style and gets away with it because of the individual talent of its roster. MAD did a good job studying its opponent and capitalized on G2’s mistakes.
MAD’s performance wasn’t perfect, the team showed a tendency to engage at inopportune times. Even when they were ahead, MAD forced team fights that G2 would end up winning. MAD learned from its mistake after game three and didn’t allow G2 to dictate the pace of the games.
A big contributing factor to G2’s defeat is the role swap between Luka “Perkz” Perković and Rasmus “Caps” Winther. Caps doesn’t have the same prowess in the bottom lane that Perkz showcased in 2019. Perkz dominated marksmen and mages alike, while Caps is struggling to outperform bottom lane opponents.
In the series against MAD, Caps played three mages and performed at an average level. It might be time to reconsider the swap and get Caps back in the mid lane next season.
Losing against MAD might be the wake-up call that G2 needs. Now, the defending champion must fight through the lower bracket for a chance to make it to the finals. G2 must win two best-of-fives if they want to defend the title. MAD will play the winner between Origen and Fnatic in semifinals.
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