exceL vs Fnatic

For our third match of the day we have a somewhat exciting clash between the former "Kings of Europe" Fnatic, and a surprisingly solid challenger in Excel Esports. Now, these two teams find themselves at opposite ends of the LEC spectrum. Fnatic, for one, is all but locked in for the playoffs. Excel, on the other hand, isn't that lucky.

Currently, they're sitting at a fairly commendable 7W-7L record which has netted them sole possession of seventh place. You don't have to be great at math to realize that's one spot too low for the playoffs, meaning every single game going forward matters immensely. They're just one win below MAD Lions, but they haven't been the most consistent bunch in the LEC, which is one of the main reasons why no one's giving them much of a chance going forward.

Still, they do have potential, and should not be underestimated.

The whole coronavirus outbreak certainly complicated things, but at least it gave the players an extra week to recuperate, prepare, and reset for the last two weeks of the regular season. Well, at least one can hope that's how things went down in Berlin, seeing how each country is reacting in a slightly different way.

For Excel to reach Top 6, they not only have to string a couple of high-profile wins (upsets, rather), but MAD Lions needs to implode a bit as well. In other words, their fate isn't entirely in their hands, and that's a problem. They do hold an advantage in the head to head, but they also have a much, much harder strength of schedule going forward -- Fnatic, G2 Esports, Origen, and SK Gaming.

Talk about a tall order. Yeesh.

Their game against SK Gaming should be a fairly one-sided affair, but they also need to score an upset against a Top 3 team if they want to stand a chance of reaching the playoffs. The thing with Excel is, while they're fairly talented and resilient, they're just not as consistent as they need to be. Mickey, in particular, is the biggest offender. Sometimes he looks like an absolute deity, scoring solo kills and impacting the map. Other times, however, he's nowhere to be seen. When that happens, there's quite an evident void in the mid lane, as if Excel are playing 4 vs. 5.

Fnatic, on the other hand, are quite literally the second best team in the region -- there's no doubt about it. That said, the only consistent thing about them is their unrelenting aggression and sheer flexibility. In many ways, they look like the G2 Esports of 2019, and that's about as big of a compliment as you can give these days. Many casters and analysts have coined their style of play as "see hero kill hero" and while that might be a slight hyperbole, it's not far from the truth. If you're into top-tier competitive League, watching their games is an absolute must.

But it is this aggression that at times makes them vulnerable. They go for huge swings, they lunge towards their opponents and are therefore exposing themselves. Now, to be fair, you could argue that only G2 Esports have what it takes to counter and capitalize, but the point still stands. Excel Esports, on the other hand, make plenty of mistakes in the mid and later stages of the game. In fact, that's the moment when they implode the most.

Against a team like Fnatic, a carnivorous titan that needs just an inch to take a mile, that's not going to work. If things pan out as expected, they'll simply overwhelm Excel in the most important moments of the game. Still, Excel has a fairly solid early game and has more than enough power under the hood to compete, so expect a fairly competitive clash that's bound to entertain.