Fnatic’s LEC Spring Split Journey Ends as MAD Lions Advance

In a “quite bloody” showdown between Fnatic and MAD Lions, the latter eliminated Fnatic from the 2023 LEC Spring Split. League of Legends fans were taken on a wild ride as MAD Lions emerged victorious in the best-of-three series, keeping their playoff dreams alive and inching closer to the Mid Season Invitational. Fnatic, on the other hand, will have to wait until the Summer Split for another chance on the LEC stage.

Fnatic entered the second game with poise, as both teams faced off in intense teamfights. Despite Elyoya’s crucial ganks for MAD Lions, Fnatic seized the advantage when Rekkles intervened during a dive under a tier-two turret in the bot lane. This play led to Fnatic securing the second game, with Elyoya later referring to it as a “circus play.”

The turning point in the first game came when Hylissang found the perfect angle to strike, securing the win for MAD Lions. With a 5,000 gold lead 23 minutes in, MAD Lions exerted immense pressure on all lanes, causing Fnatic to play passively against their opponents’ constant engages.

The third and final game saw the teams in a do-or-die situation, with the outcome hinging on the last two teamfights. While Fnatic fought back with proactive plays against MAD Lions’ lane pressure, MAD Lions ultimately triumphed due to Carzzy’s late-game Jinx, who annihilated Fnatic during the series’ final fight. Rekkles later admitted that Jinx had “too much control” in the last game and considered whether a different AD carry could have stopped her.

Despite Rekkles’ quadrakill and the perfect opportunity to take down MAD Lions’ nexus, Fnatic couldn’t close the game due to timely respawns from MAD Lions’ players. Elyoya acknowledged that his team misplayed several fights, allowing Razork to reach their backline easily.

Rekkles conceded that the outcome could have been different with a few adjustments, but ultimately MAD Lions advanced to face Astralis next week for a spot in the LEC Spring Split Playoffs.