Rogue vs Origen

To open up the week, we have an absolute spectacle on our hands -- a fight between two teams that many deemed as Top 4 contenders coming into the season. Both Origen and Rogue blew us away last week with their incredible performances and are currently sitting at the top of the region with two wins apiece. They've not only managed to win in stellar fashion, but they've looked downright fantastic in the process as well.

Right now, they're the second and third best teams in the region, right behind G2 Esports. That's quite an evident thing, and while Fnatic should be able to eventually climb into that same tier, they still need a bit of time before they can synergize and mount an offensive.

Origen needed little time and effort to take down Fnatic and Schalke 04. They weren't always perfect, but they were darn close. They made few mistakes, and looked spectacular as a five-man unit. Aggressive, proactive, on the same page, always willing to engage and do what is necessary to get the win. Everyone on the Origen line-up stood out in one way or another, but it was Andrei "Xerxe" Dragomir and Barney "Alphari" Morris who hardcarried beyond belief. Alphari is still horrendously undervalued and yet he's wrecking house whenever he gets the right assistance. Xerxe, on the other hand, was instrumental in Origen's early and mid games. His spectacular pathing and cerebral style of play pushed Origen over the finish line on both occasions. His Predator-fuelled Gragas also annihilated Schalke from the very get-go.

Xerxe is the perfect player for Origen, and for the first time in his career, he has some of the best players in each and every role accompanying him. How can this roster not challenge G2 Esports for the LEC throne?

Opposite them, we have Rogue. They were slightly less impressive when compared to Origen, but still every bit as dangerous and capable. Their wins over Excel Esports and Misfits Gaming were perfect examples of their growth and inherent talent. Then again, they didn't have the toughest test in week one. Not by a long shot. Misfits is definitely the worst team in the region at the moment, whereas Excel Esports -- while solid and very talented -- still isn't much more than a mid-tier playoff team. So in that sense, Origen's wins are much more impressive.

Predicting the outcome of this one isn't nearly as easy as it would've been in 2019. Both teams improved beyond measure over the course of the off-season, and they're looking to not only leave a mark this time around but also upset the long-established LEC status quo. This one game will give us a more in-depth look at how strong and capable of them are at this point in time, and if they play as well as they can, we're bound to be entertained beyond measure.

In the end, however, we simply have to side with Origen. The veteran-heavy line-up has all the right tools to get the win, although have in mind that this game could truly go either way, especially if Rogue bring their "A game."