The group stage continues because the LEC strikes towards the Winter break up playoffs!
The group stage continued with 2 extra unbelievable match-ups that led to dicey teamfights, big-brain escapes and dominating killfests.
After 4 weeks of LEC motion, the Winter break up’s Group stage will begin pitting final week’s winners towards one another within the high bracket. The 8 remaining groups progress in direction of the Season Finals whereby the winner will develop into a contender for a spot at Worlds 2023. This best-of-three’s (bo3s) play construction got here as a brand new addition to this 12 months’s LEC format. Try the standings of all 8 groups that made it to the Group Stage here!
The Group stage additionally began simply in time for the LEC’s tenth anniversary. Over 2,600 video games performed ever because it’s inaugural match between SK Gaming and Fnatic.
No extra second probabilities:
Who will rise within the race for Playoffs? #LEC pic.twitter.com/2nEdioTyKA
— LEC (@LEC) February 17, 2023
The 2023 Winter Group Stage Draw
Winner’s Bracket
- Vitality
- SK Gaming
- Heretics
- KOI
Loser’s Bracket
- MAD Lions
- G2 Esports
- Staff BDS
- Astralis
How are the remainder of the Teams determined? Following the brand new 2023 format for the EMEA League, the winners for Sport 1 & 2 will face off in an higher bracket match. The identical can be completed by the victors of the third and fourth match. Afterwards, all of the dropping groups compete in lower-bracket bo3’s. Those who win within the loser’s bracket can climb their manner again up for a spot within the Play-offs by defeating the losers from the higher bracket match-ups. With solely 8 high groups remaining, count on top-tier performs because the strongest groups within the LEC duke it out on Summoner’s Rift.
SK Gaming vs Staff Heretics
Sport 1
Evi and Jackspektra’s early-game dominance made SK extraordinarily hesitant to reply again. Avoiding an enemy snowball, Staff Heretics performed their playing cards good for a assured teamfight on high lane. After eliminating Jankos, Jackspektra and Mersa, SK Gaming have been capable of take Baron at 22 minutes with some sensible zoning from Irrelevant’s Gnar. The shortage of any form of efficient coordination led to Heretics dropping one other conflict down mid, leaving their base large open for SK to take a Sport 1 win.
- Groups: SK 1 – 0 TH
- Time: 29:21
- Kills: 10 – 5
- Turrets: 8 – 5
- Gold: 53.1k – 50.0k
- Dragons: 2 – 2
- Barons: 1 – 0
Sport 2
Heretics laid down the strain at botlane as Jankos discovered a powerful begin on Kindred. With a 1k gold lead in lower than 10 minutes, extra management over the jungle meant that TH claimed the primary Chemdrake. With Ruby’s Azir frequently getting suppressed, SK’s Rift Herald punched previous the midlane’s first tower. Heretics owned a giant lead and all 3 dragons 20 minutes in, that carried them to midgame till they began faltering. A quick retreat and a sacrifice from Evi’s Okay’Sante meant that Heretics might maintain their lead going, but it surely was exhausting taking any probabilities contemplating SK’s highly effective snowball potential. Motivated to shut the sport, TH was eager on staking their declare on Baron to get their win. Even once they have been down 5 kills, SK noticed the chance and initiated a dangerous midlane conflict to throw off their plans. With extra picks beneath their belt, they rapidly dove into Nashor’s pit, obtained the buff and contested the fifth dragon. From then on, the match-up slowly led to favor of SK.
- Groups: TH 0 – 2 SK
- Time: 39:20
- Kills: 9 – 15
- Turrets: 3 – 10
- Gold: 62.7k – 70.4k
- Dragons: 3 – 3
- Barons: 0 – 1
#SKWIN @SKGaming defeat @TeamHeretics and can face @TeamVitality tomorrow! #LEC pic.twitter.com/SColwTx770
— LEC (@LEC) February 18, 2023
Staff BDS vs Astralis
Sport 1
A really aggressive botlane skirmish resulted in an early commerce between Kobbe and Labrov. Nuc’s unkillable Kassadin made positive to maintain the strain up whereas Astralis took the primary Rift Herald of the sport. Even with 2 extra drakes beneath their belt, the Spanish pro-team could not cease BDS’ superior macroplay. After a profitable have interaction on high lane gave them sufficient house to take Baron, one other game-ending conflict put BDS 5 kills forward of their opponents. This snowballed till BDS closed their first recreation of the day.
- Groups: BDS 1 – 0 AST
- Time: 38:09
- Kills: 18 – 7
- Turrets: 10 – 4
- Gold: 71.3k – 59.6k
- Dragons: 2 – 2
- Barons: 1 – 0
Sport 2
One other recreation repeated the sample of early first blood trades on bot facet. 113 and Finn could not keep management over the jungle whereas Jeonghoon picked up his workforce’s slack. The sport might have gone both manner when the clock ticked right down to minute 30. What would have been a really shut recreation shifted in favor to AST very late into the sport. 4 dragon goal kills gave them the pressure they wanted to push by for the second recreation win.
- Groups: AST 1 – 1 BDS
- Time: 38:55
- Kills: 16 – 7
- Turrets: 10 – 2
- Gold: 73.0k – 62.8k
- Dragons: 4 – 2
- Barons: 1 – 0
Sport 3
BDS vs AST Sport 3 was an absolute domination match. AST selected to take the purple facet this time round as finn took first blood as Kled. With extra overextends getting punished wtih 3-man ganks, AST noticed one other early recreation lead. After establishing superior map presence, Sheo’s Wukong simply could not sustain. 113 targeted extra on lane ganks than camps, and it paid off superbly within the midgame. With the purple workforce in a break up push, it took all the things BDS needed to juggle goals with lane clears. Defending towards AST’s fed Sejuani simply wasn’t doable because the workforce constructed up sufficient momentum to shut out their third and remaining recreation for the day.
- Groups: BDS 1 – 2 AST
- Time: 28:45
- Kills: 3 – 14
- Turrets: 10 – 0
- Gold: 41.8k – 55.1k
- Dragons: 0 – 4
- Barons: 0 – 1
a traditional pic.twitter.com/Lbhq7obhg4
— LEC (@LEC) February 18, 2023
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