Recap: LoL EU LCS Match of the Week Fnatic vs Origen

This week’s biggest match features 2 teams everybody is talking about. Fnatic, as world finalists last year, has a high ceiling to reach this year, and Origen, the greatest team to ever come back to the LoL EU LCS, has a lot of potential build on itself.

Let’s review pick and bans, all the stages of the game, and what made the winning team beat its opposition.

The EU LCS Spring Split finally started this week, and the day was full of surprises. The most shocking ones were the defeats of both Fnatic and Origen, teams that everybody expected to perform great this year. The match of the week suddenly feels a lot more important for these teams. As the loser will finish the first week 0-2, and that’s a hard pill to swallow. Fnatic must prove that last year’s performance was not a fluke but rather consistency. Origen must also deliver results to its fans after all the Hype with the addition of Deficio into the coaching lineup.

• Read: 2019 League of Legends European Championship Spring Split [W1D1] Recap

Picks and Bans

The phase started normally, with Cassiopeia and Aatrox banned as common, and a first pick Urgot for Fnatic. However this all shook up abruptly after the end of the 2nd bans. Rekkles picked a Jhin for himself in response to Origen lacking true tanks. Then, Origen decides to bring Vayne is a final pick. After a quick switcheroo it finally went to Nukeduck in the midlane, facing Nemesis’ Galio.  It was a wombo-combo composition (Fnatic) against a team of Glass Cannons (Origen) in the EU LCS.

Early game

As predicted from the picks, Origen’s lanes had priority for most of the early game. The Lucian-Braum combo is too much pressure for a Jhin and an Alistar, and Galio cannot contest cs against Vayne without getting his face loaded with bolts. Top lane ended up being a farm lane, since they were both ranged and had kill pressure with jungle assistance. However, Mithy made a pathing mistake and ended up givinp First Blood to Fnatic, and the subsequent lack of Flash made him die 2 more times in the first 15 minutes. But Origen ended up with the early advantage thanks to Kold’s Xin Zhao killing Broxah in his jungle, and Nukeduck just powerfarming his way to a gold lead at the EU LCS; getting 10 times more minions than minutes all game long.

Mid game

After a couple of turrets were traded, a teamfight at 17 minutes foreshadowed what was going to be the rest of the game. Nukeduck had already 2 completed items at that point of the game, and no other than Blade of the Ruined Kind and Ginso’s Rageblade, two items that skyrocket Vayne’s damage, and this was shown as he depleted both Alistar and Galio’s health bars in the teamfight, which ended up being a 1 for 1 thanks to a phenomenal taunt from Nemesis combined with a 4th shot from Rekkles, leaving Origen in a great position mapwise.

Soon after, Nukeduck and Kold managed to turn around a 2 v 3 and kill Broxah and Rekkles to secure Top Outer Turret. It was them time for a Baron play, and since Origen couldn’t start the objective as they were all glass cannons. They had to pick a mis-positioned player from Fnatic first, and to their credit, they managed to delay this for 7 minutes, making up for some of the gold deficit of the team. But yet again, by the hands of Nukeduck and Kold, Origen found Hylissang out of position and forced both Teleports from Fnatic. Without Fnatic’s side lane pressure, Origen had all the cards in their hand. After a long chase, they managed to kill 3 Fanatic members to secure the Baron at the 27 minute mark at the EU LCS.

• Read: 2019 League of Legends Pro League Spring Split [W1D4] Recap

How it ended at the EU LCS

After acquiring the Baron Buff, the rest of the game was a simple transaction for Origen. They pressured the mid lane and Fnatic tried to get their wombo combo right one last time. However, Nukeduck and Alphari had too much of a lead. With two late game monsters, it was enough to bait most of the crowd control from Fnatic. From that point on, it was just chasing and killing for the Vayne. Origen managed to beat up Fnatic in the 2nd day of week 1.

Both of these teams do not have it easy next week, as Origen faces Vitality and Misfits. Origen has a harder week 2, but having secured their first win, already leaves them in a great spot. On their part, Fnatic must correct their mistakes, especially putting Nemesis, their newest member, in losing matchups.

Game Life continue to watch the progression of these 2 teams during the tournament.

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