Splyce challenge G2, but fall short

The opening game on Saturday between Splyce and G2 provided a lot of action and was close until the end, but ultimately, once again it was G2 who prevailed.

The game started with plenty of action from the opening minutes, and Splyce drew first blood only four minutes in with a gank top by Andrei “Xerxe” Dragomir’s Aatrox. While the Romanian jungler would carry his team to a kill lead in the initial stage of the game, even taking three for his own, G2's great fundamentals and pressure kept the game close, and they equalized the kills as the mid-game began.

A big teamfight 21 minutes in initially started with both teams getting a kill, but G2 soon picked one more, killing Xerxe. While they had several members low on health and were stranded on the other side of the map, poor coordination from Splyce resulted in them getting aced as they sought to corner G2, resulting in the first big lead in the game going to their opponents. G2 would get kill after kill, and a few minutes afterwards were already 5K gold ahead. Splyce were not out of it, however, and with several fights going in their favor and giving them some much-needed shutdown gold, they had brought the game back to nearly even 30 minutes in.

The even game did not last long, however, and what started as a pick on Tore “Norskeren”Hoel Eilertsen’s Alistar three minutes later turned into a 3:0 for G2; still, they were not able to get an inhibitor off that. Splyce made some bold calls, though, and 35 minutes in they were able to secure the Baron. While G2 took two kills in the chase and got the inhibitor before the respawns could come, Splyce were actually looking ready to give them a run for their money in the late-game.

It all ended with a single teamfight 39 minutes in, as after taking in a lot of poke Splyce tried to catch Luka “Perkz” Perković's Lucian while Rasmus “Caps” Winther's Leblanc was away. However, a key blast cone proc ended up separating the team and saw G2 kills the exposed Viktor, before a great four-man stun from Mihael “Mikyx” Mehle’s Pyke decided the now 4v4 fight, leading to a clean ace for G2, who ended the game before the respawns could arrive.

It was an impressive game for both teams, who traded blows throughout a game that averaged over a kill per minute. G2 remain undefeated at the top of the table, but next week will bring new challengers - Team Vitality and Fnatic.