Caps and company successfully recovered from an upper-bracket setback to maintain their incredible streak in the LEC, once again at the expense of perennial bridesmaids Fnatic, who looked stronger than ever in the LEC Summer Split playoff but still capitulated at the final hurdle against their rivals.
Another LEC Split, another G2 victory, and while the challengers’ identity continues to shift, the final boss of European League of Legends still remains the same. Fnatic put up a spirited challenge throughout the playoffs as they defied the expectations set by their fourth-place finish in the regular season to bulldoze their way through the playoffs, but if their upper-bracket win over G2 seemed like a harbinger of things to come just a few days ago, it most definitely wasn’t in the end.
The two teams played out a barnburner of an upper-bracket final back on July 22, where Fnatic ultimately triumphed 3-2, sending G2 down into the doldrums for a match against Team BDS, a challenge they swiftly met with a 3-1 win. Tonight’s repeat occasion led to revenge of the most spectacular fashion, with a 3-0 victory that can only be described as the fruit of some serious mental block, perhaps developed during the unforgettable Spring Split finale.
Not only was it a clean sweep from the side of G2, claiming Baron to turn around the first game before beating down on the repeat comp in game two, but it also included a spectacular collapse from Fnatic, who were 9,300 gold up 22 minutes into the third game but still went on to lose in just seven minutes’ time. In fact, the tale of the tape shows how the entire series revolved around Fnatic building resource advantages in vain and quickly falling apart afterward.
G2’s Hans Sama ended the series with a monstrous 18/3/16 KDA, going deathless on Ezreal in the opening game of the match despite Fnatic’s best efforts to dampen him in the draft phase. He died just once as Jhin in game two and went 8/2/5 to play his part in the spectacular comeback in game three, confirming G2’s Worlds spot, and their LEC dominance—in case you ever needed added proof about who the final bosses are in EMEA League.
