Although they’re both former LEC champions, MAD Lions and Fnatic have been on opposite paths since the 2022 LEC Summer Split began.
For the pride of Europe, things have looked very good over the past couple of weekends, with the team sporting a decent win streak heading into the second half of the split. Fnatic, on the other hand, have looked shaky at best in the same span, holding a four-game loss streak against a handful of top-five teams. Those trends held true today, with MAD Lions rolling over Fnatic to hang onto the top sport in the LEC.
From the opening moments of today’s match, MAD Lions and Fnatic kept things exciting with constant teamfighting across the map. Both rosters traded blows in one of the most exciting early games of the day, with 12 collective kills in just over 15 minutes. Rookie AD carry Unforgiven held a decent lead over Upset after the skirmishes, notching three early kills to push his advantage into a snowball.
Later in the game, however, MAD found themselves on the right side of some close teamfights. Only one kill would go over to their side, but those skirmishes would eventually add up and affect the rest of the match. Eventually, it became clear that Fnatic needed a better champion to help them initiate fights. Hylissang, for example, is known for his stellar work on engage champions, but he was put on Zilean instead, which didn’t suit his usual style of play.
MAD’s team composition managed to split up Fnatic with Taliyah’s Weaver’s Wall ultimate, while also wielding two great engage options with Vi and Rakan diving into Fnatic’s squishy backline. They were also much more proactive with their plays, pushing the pace and constantly pressuring their opponents with their positioning.
A full team effort was needed, but in the end, MAD showed why they are fighting at the top for the number one spot in Europe. Meanwhile, Fnatic continues to slide down the standings, and are now out of the playoff race with a disappointing 5-7 record, with only six games remaining in the season. If they want a chance at the 2022 World Championship, they must win the majority of their remaining games to even make it into playoffs.
