We have reached the climax of LEC Winter 2023 - Stage 2. Group B representatives will close the group stage.
For a chance to get into the playoffs from quartet B, MAD Lions - Astralis will play. The teams will play the last slot in the playoffs in the bo3 match format.
The MAD Lions found themselves on the desider having made it through the regular season, but faced problems at the group stage. At first, they outplayed Astralis, but later lost to G2 Esports without any idea.
Astralis had a much more thorny path. At first, they lost to MAD Lions, and later they were knocked out of the Team BDS tournament.
We are looking into whether Astralis' rematch will be successful and whether they will be able to deal with a major rival.
Form M.A.D. Lions
The first to be reviewed will be MAD Lions. The team in this match will be the favorite of the race.
The bookmakers unanimously choose the “lions” as the winner of the match. The chance of winning is estimated by a coefficient in the region of 1.2.
Such a figure leaves no chance for Astralis and it is difficult to disagree with it. MAD Lions team is a cut above, more experienced and generally stronger.
MAD Lions line-up
A huge advantage of MAD Lions compared to Astralis is their roster. In terms of names, the Danish club can not be compared with the “lions”.
MAD Lions players
- Chasy
- Elyoya
- Nisqy
- Carzzy
- Hylissang
The backbone of Chasy, Elyoya and Nisqy serve as the engine of the lineup. So far, the duo bot Carzyy and Hylissang need to be adapted, which can be seen from some game moments and performance.
MAD Lions Performance
The first game week of MAD Lions started well. The team won 2 matches out of 3 played:
- 1-0 victory over SK Gaming
- 1-0 victory over Astralis
- Lost to Vitality 0-1
It was not possible to beat only Vitality, which, however, almost no one can beat. Where they were supposed to pick up points, they took them.
The second week, according to the standard, had 3 matches. MAD Lions again held the game segment with a score of 2-1:
- Victory over EXCEL with a score of 1-0
- Victory over KOI with a score of 1-0
- Lost to BDS 0-1
In general, no revelations. We lost to BDS, which showed a rather vigorous League this season, and therefore it is definitely not worth falling into despair because of this.
The final week went well for MAD Lions. The team finished the stage with their heads held high:
- 1-0 victory over Fnatic
- 1-0 victory over Team Heretics
- 1-0 victory over G2 Esports
A streak of three victories allowed MAD Lions to break into the TOP-1 and earn respect before the start of the group stage. However, the team had no problems with the latter before.
Already in the group stage, MAD Lions started having problems. Astralis in the first match managed to impose a fight on MAD Lions and show a rather weighty League of Legends.
Later, MAD Lions met with a direct competitor for the title of the best team - G2 Esports. That match ended for the “lions” with a peremptory defeat on two maps.
MAD Lions Champions
Fiora (2 matches, 100% of wins) and KSante (2 matches, 50% of wins) appeared in the top of MAD Lions more often than others. They also took Renekton (1 game, 100% wins) and Gnar (1 game and that loss).
In the forest, Sejuani is popular (3 matches, 66% of wins). Next up is Wukong with 2 appearances and a 50% win rate, and then there was Maokai who won his only match.
On the central line, Viktor (1-1) and Akali (1-1) have 2 matches each. Azir and Sylas won their matches.
Of the shooters, Varus appeared most often (3 matches, 66% of wins). Lucian picked 2 times (1-1) and picked Sivir one more time (1-0).
Thresh (1-1), Lulu (1-1) got to the shooter more often than others. Nami and Ashe, who appeared 1 time each, won their matches.
Astralis shape
We continue the review of the match with the analysis of Astralis. In this confrontation, they will play the role of the second violin.
The chances of winning are few, but they are there. The odds for Astralis to win are at 3.7.
The figure, of course, is high and the lag is almost 3 times hinting at hard times for the “Danes”, but you should not rush to bury them. They have already shown that they can show grins.
Astralis squad
Astralis players are far from the level of “lions”. However, LEC Winter 2023 gives hope for a bright future for the current Astralis formation.
Astralis players
- Finn
- 113
- Dajor
- Kobbe
- JeongHoon
As LEC Winter 2023 progressed, the individual sides of Astralis players began to emerge. Finn stands out in particular, having previously played for a number of big teams like Excel, CLG, Rogue and others.
Astralis Performance
The Danish club started the first week badly. The team lost all their matches and did not have to wait for any kind of enlightenment in their game:
- Lost to Team Heretics 0-1
- Lost to MAD Lions 0-1
- Lost to G2 Esports 0-1
Having played against the big favorites, Astralis entered the second week. No less formidable rivals were waiting for them there, but the situation was partially corrected:
- Lost to Vitality 0-1
- Lost to BDS 0-1
- Victory over EXCEL with a score of 1-0
The win against EXCEL breathed life into Astralis and brought back hope for success in future games. They got it the next week when they finished the tour with a score of 2-1:
- 1-0 victory over BDS
- 1-0 victory over Fnatic
- Lost by KOI 0-1
Two victories allowed Astralis to advance to the group stage. Unfortunately for Astralis, they ended up in Group B.
However, Astralis did not want to put up with the role of whipping boys. In the first match of the group stage, they imposed a fight on MAD Lions: they failed to win, but they took the card.
Further - even more interesting. Astralis outperformed BDS in a full-fledged bo3, which showed promise before the start of the group stage, but failed, quartet B is on the last line.
Astralis Champions
Astralis tops KSante (3 matches, 0 win%), Fiora (1 game, 0 wins), Aatrox (1 game, 0 wins). The appearance of Gnar and Gangplank in the picks (1 win in 1 game) became a success.
Of the junglers, Viego (3 games, 0% wins), Sejuani (2 matches, 50% wins), Jarvan IV (1 match, 0% wins) popped up most often. It is best to play for Trundl (2 matches, 2 wins).
Mid lane: Sylas (3 games, 2 wins), Ryze (2 matches, 50% wins), Syndra (2 appearances, 0 wins), Twisted Fate (1 match, 0% wins).
The bot had the largest number of experiments. These are Caytlin and Xayah and Ezrael, as well as Zeri and Lucian. Out of the pool, 2 matches were won by Lucian, 1 by Ezreal.
A similar situation with supports. There was enough variety here: Ashe (2 games, 0 wins), Bard, Lux, Yummi and Nami. The latter won two games in conjunction with Lucian. Meta Karma also won.
History of personal confrontations
Previously, the teams played each other in the second round of the first group week of the LEC 2023 Winter - Stage 1. The Lions took 29 minutes to close the series, and Nisqy with his Syndr became the main star.
In addition, the teams played each other already in the group stage. The fight, which was supposed to end with a rout for Astralis, ended with a full-fledged bo3 and a card from the “Danes”.
The outcome of the fight
In this match, we have every chance to see a full-fledged bo3. This is hinted at both by the history of personal games and by the overall performance of the teams.
Naturally, closer to the victory of MAD Lions and if they fly out at this stage, it will be another precedent. My bet is Bo3 with MAD Lions to win.
Bottom line: +1.5 handicap on Astralis.
Partizan Sangal
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