Strafe’s Match of the Week: G2 Esports take on Fnatic in El Classico Spring Split Match
On the 17th of March, this coming Sunday, the El Classico EMEA matchup returns with Fnatic and G2 Esports.
The two titans of EMEA will face off in a Bo1 during Week 2 of the Spring Split at the Riot Games Arena in Berlin.
Both teams currently sit at the top of the board, with G2 undefeated in their opening week and Fnatic close behind at 2-1.
Setting the Stage
G2 has reached a level of unassailability within the EMEA – thanks to a combination of their draft ingenuity and individual talent of each of their members. Continuing their string of dominance, they have won 4 of the last 5 EMEA events including Winter 2023, Summer 2023, Season Finals 2023, and their latest win, Winter 2024.
Coming into Spring, they have already gone flawless in their opening week, setting up another potential season of second string for the rest of the teams.
For Fnatic, they spent the off-season reworking their roster, bringing on Korean support Yoon “Jun” Se-jun over from Kwandong Freecs to revamp their botlane with better synergy. Since the roster change, the team has shown strong improvement and is current rated at either the second or third best team in EMEA, a strong recovery for the roster considering their dismal 2023 start.
In Spring thus far, Fnatic have looked decently strong, however, they haven’t been tested against the stronger teams in the league. It remains to be seen if they can continue this success coming into Week 2.
G2 take on Fnatic this week in the LEC. Credit: Strafe EsportsG2 Esports vs Fnatic Pre-Match Stats: Preview and Prediction
This match sets the stage for the rest of Spring. If Fnatic can overcome G2, the season may turn out to be a more competitive one. However, if G2 run away with this win, it bodes for a weaker split, with potentially only Team BDS in a position to challenge G2’s reign.
G2 came into 2024 retaining their entire roster from the previous year. They were the only LEC team to do so and expectations were high that G2 would be able to achieve even greater heights internationally. Domestically, they are expected to continue as the best. Fnatic meanwhile, are looking to overcome their earlier struggles and recapture the magic of their earlier rosters.
Moreover, Fnatic have already proven that they are capable of matching G2 to an extent in the Winter Playoffs, pushing G2 to a game 4.
This game will be heavily decided from draft. As the kings of drafting, G2 have the distinct edge coming into the series with off-meta picks to surprise their opponents. However, Fnatic have shown a stability of form, especially from jungler Razork. If they can narrow down G2’s options or force a bad gambit, Fnatic may be able to close out the Bo1.
76% of Strafe users have favored G2 coming into this match.
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