Best LoL Matches To Watch This Weekend (2/4-2/7)

By Curt Gokcen
2/03/2o16, 4:30 p.m.
Tweet to: @Slickster_Mag

Every weekend the League of Legends professional league, known as the League Championship Series (LCS), shows 20 different matches. While each game typically lasts between 30-45 minutes, most people do not have time to sit through every match. Fortunately (or unfortunately), I do have hours to spend watching and analyzing each LCS day in its entirety. I’m hoping to use my knowledge to highlight the one or two must watch games from each day.

Last week my game of the week, UOL vs. G2, was definitely the most exciting match of the weekend. Here is a link in case you missed it. It is definitely worth a watch. (Spoilers for that game below.)

While another week has come and gone, we really don’t know much more about the teams now than we did then. A few teams are rising to the top and quite a few a falling off the pace, but there is a whole cluster of teams in the middle of the pack in both Europe and North America. This week we will see if there is finally a bit of space in the standings, or if the mess in the middle continues.

Thursday 2/4

G2 (5-1) vs. OG (3-3)

Game 3, approx. start time 2:00 p.m. EST.

OG may finally be turning things around. While their two victories last week were against the painfully average Elements and the painful-to-watch Roccat, they looked much better as a team. They seem to be gelling much better with PoE in the midlane, and are showing glimpses of the team that ended up top four in the world at the end of 2015.

G2, on the other hand, had an absolutely monster week. They not only took down defending champs Fnatic, but dispatched rivals UOL on their way to a first place tie. These were two huge matches and everyone expected G2 to finally come back down to earth, but their meteoric rise continues. Their midlaner, Perkz, has shown to be one of the best in EU as he is continues to stomp his opponents and hard carry games. What else can be said about this guy besides it’s time for the Perkzulator? Despite everyone picking them to lose, G2 will not stop winning. Maybe it is time to believe they are legit title contenders.

 Friday 2/5

UOL (4-2) vs. Vitality (4-2)

Game 3, approx. start time 2:00 p.m. EST.

Despite splitting their games last week, UOL had a strong showing and continue to look like a top team in the EU LCS. They easily beat Elements before dropping their showdown with G2. The game might not have been top draw in terms of macro strategy, but it was sure entertaining.

Vitality had a fairly innocuous week as a team. Their game against H2k was a 45 snoozefest, the equivalent of Ambien in League of Legends form. They then easily beat lowly Roccat. We really did not learn a lot from the newly formed roster last week. Yet each of these teams are currently 4-2 and are tied for third. This match could have huge implications for seeding come playoff time.

Saturday 2/6                   

 *Game of the week hype*

CLG (4-2) vs. Immortals (6-0)

Game 3, approx. start time 5:00 p.m. EST.

Against my better judgement, this is my claim for game of the week. I know full well that this game could actually turn out to be a complete stomp. No team really looks like they can compete with Immortals at the moment. However, I think that CLG could prove to be the one team to really give Immortals a run for their money.

CLG’s playstyle is to methodically outrotate their opponents on the map. They are widely regarded as the best NA team in how they handle the lane swap and the early game. While they are not the most mechanically skilled group, they make up for this by working as a team to win via macro shotcalling. What makes this game potentially intriguing is that Immortals have almost exclusively won their games by forcing fights and brute forcing their way to victory. If CLG can draft a disengage and siege comp, they may be able to avoid the fights Immortals need to get ahead. Their opposing playstyles potentially set up a very interesting matchup. Here’s hoping we get a good game and I don’t look like an idiot if Immortals crush CLG.

NRG vs. TiP

Sunday 2/7

Game 2, approx. start time 4:00 p.m. EST.

C9 (3-3) vs. NRG (4-2)

C9 as a team are so frustrating to watch. They have some real talent, but without their shotcaller Hai in the lineup the team wanders around the rift like a child lost in a food store. Their game against TSM was odd to say the least, both teams trading inhib turrets without so much as a kill. It then took a heroic effort on Rush’s part to beat the not so stellar Dignitas. This could be a long season for C9 fans if they have to sweat through a year of these types of games.

NRG seem to be almost as inconsistent. They looked completely out of sorts against Liquid last week and dropped a game against a lesser opponent. Yet when they faced the star studded TSM lineup, NRG put in one of the most thorough beatings of the young season. The bow tie enthusiast NRG made TSM look like the Washington Generals as they ran circles around them before finishing the game without a single death. Whatever version of these teams show up this weekend will ultimately decide the winner.