Istanbul Wild Cats vs MAD Lions

Next up, we have MAD Lions facing off against the fastPay Wildcats. Hardly a premier match-up, but an exciting one nonetheless. Watching the LEC champions in action is always a load of fun — regardless if they win or not. They're a highly motivated, eclectic, and surprisingly flexible bunch, and they never go down without a fight, which means entertainment is always guaranteed.

After their incredibly dominant win over PSG Talon yesterday, they're pretty much a shoo-in to get out of their group as the number one seed. Still, that aside, they cannot let their guard down, otherwise they'll just end up as Cloud9 — inherently better but unprepared for the monumental task at hand. MAD Lions are also a bit too volatile at times, although it's hard to imagine anyone in their group actually pushing them to the brink of the defeat and punishing any of their mistakes. If their win over PSG told us anything, it is the fact that they've earned their spot at MSI fair and square -- they might not be the most consistent team around, but they have talent in spades and are unafraid of trading blows regardless of the odds. And, well, that's why we all love them.

FastPay Wildcats are by no means a slouch, but they still pale in comparison. Their one game against paiN Gaming was definitely a rollercoaster, in both good ways and bad. Their early game was downright phenomenal but it became evident that they didn't know what to do with their lead and were eventually bested by the much more seasoned and resilient CBLOL champions. All in all, it was a respectable showing, but it still highlighted just how flawed of a team they truly are.

MAD are not perfect. Quite the opposite, in fact, but they're still head and shoulders above the TCL champions and shouldn't have too much trouble in taking them down. If MAD put their best foot forward and execute to the best of their ability, they should definitely be able to get their hands raised in less than thirty minutes.