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G2 Esports has claimed its third consecutive EU LCS title, defeating the Unicorns of Love 3-1 in an exciting final Sunday. With the win, G2 will qualify for its second consecutive MSI, hoping to perform better than last year’s disappointing showing.
Sunday was anything but disappointing for G2. The team looked as clean as it ever has, with notably strong performances from Expect in the top lane and PerkZ in the mid lane. G2’s solo laners were its weak points last year, and with arguably the strongest jungler and duo lane in the region, the team looks formidable as it returns to the international scene.
UOL put up a strong fight, and has to be proud with its second second-place EU LCS finish in franchise history. Samux had a particularly strong series, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the strongest team in the region.
Game 4, 20:00: G2 has taken an early lead, up 8-2 in kills and 4.5k in gold at 20 minutes.
LANE KINGDOM: @G2Perkz solo-kills @ExilehLoL! #EULCS pic.twitter.com/OjPNpK4vqK
— lolesports (@lolesports) April 23, 2017
Game 4, pick and bans:
UOL: Rumble, Gragas, Talon, Caitlyn, Tahm Kench
G2: Camille, Rengar, LeBlanc, Ashe, Braum
Game 3, 39:00: UOL have done it! After falling behind early to G2, UOL comes back with a stunning 17-14 win after winning a series of successful team fights.
Reverse sweep incoming? The @UnicornsOfLove pick up their first win of the series in game 3! #EULCS #UOLWIN pic.twitter.com/zNZl3cm670
— lolesports (@lolesports) April 23, 2017
Samux finishes the game 7/1/7, with Xerxe leading the way in kill participation with a 2/0/13 line on Gragas.
We’ll head to Game 4 now, with G2 still a win away from a third straight title.
Game 3, 30:00: Trailing big with their backs against the wall, UOL wins a miracle ace near Baron, evening up the gold score and taking the buff.
THEY'RE NOT DONE YET: The @UnicornsOfLove ace @G2esports in game 3! #EULCS pic.twitter.com/tO8FalEY6w
— lolesports (@lolesports) April 23, 2017
UOL now has the lead, with Samux’s Lucian at 4/1/3 and Xerxe’s Gragas at 2/0/6.
Game 3, 15:00: After a close start in the early game, G2 wins a 2-0 fight in the mid lane to take a brief lead.
We stand united and get rewarded with a double kill midlane! #G2ARMY pic.twitter.com/kRjVk4RkOO
— G2 Esports (@G2esports) April 23, 2017
However, UOL takes a tower top to keep th egold even ... for now. G2 has a 6-2 kill lead, and Expect’s Gangplank and PerkZ’s Cassiopeia continue to scale on schedule.
Game 3, pick and ban:
UOL: Shen, Gragas, Talon, Lucian, Malzahar
G2: Gangplank, Elise, Cassiopeia, Varus, Fiddlesticks
Game 2, 30:00: Despite the early lead for UOL, G2 took control in the mid game with a series of won fights. The first was near Baron at 22 minutes, allowing the defending champions to pick up the buff and start the death siege. At 25 minutes, another fight for G2 broken open UOL’s base and took the first inhib. The second inhib came two minutes later, and the 19-10 win was short to follow.
Zven finishes with a game-high eight kills, while Trick contributed a remarkable 18 assists. Expect’s Camille held strong in what can be a tough matchup against Poppy, while PerkZ’s Swain came through with a strong performance against LeBlanc.
G2 leads 2-0, and is one win away from a third straight title and second straight MSI appearance.
Game 2, 15:00: The kill score is even at 5-5, but it’s UOL who have the tempo this game. The team is up 3k gold with only a one tower advantage, taking advantage of strong laning and getting two kills onto Exileh’s LeBlanc.
Game 2, pick and bans: G2’s running a carry-heavy composition in Game 2 once again, this time bringing out a surprise Swain for PerkZ to counter Exileh’s LeBlanc. Vizicsacsi’s turning back the clock a little with the Poppy pick to contend with Expect’s Camille.
G2: Camille, Ivern, Swain, Caitlyn, Lulu
UOL: Poppy, Rengar, LeBlanc, Varus, Malzahar
Game 2, pre-game: UOL’s manager isn’t the only one decked out: Lothar’s got a sweet mask, too.
It's a #EULCS manager style battle: this is * @LotharHS's * dope mask pic.twitter.com/N44U9xbW9B
— Peter Adultman (@Pete_Volk) April 23, 2017
Game 1, 46:00: After a few late missteps, G2 has closed out Game 1, 22-7 with a gold lead larger than 20k. Expect absolutely dominated on his signature Gangplank, finishing the game 8/0/11 with an 8.1k gold lead over EU LCS MVP Vizicsacsi. Trick’s Rumble (3/2/14) and PerkZ’s Ryze (7/2/10) also had large leads over their opponents, while Zven’s Ashe (4/2/12) and Mithy’s Thresh (0/1/19) were both involved in G2’s team fight successes.
No chance was given to @UnicornsOfLove in Game 1 as we outperformed them on the Rift! Good start, #G2ARMY! https://t.co/2mNfwcXtAP pic.twitter.com/uNGCfcbp84
— G2 Esports (@G2esports) April 23, 2017
Game 1, 40:00: G2 has taken a commanding lead, led by Expect’s satanic efforts:
MISSION: SUMMON TEEMO #EULCS pic.twitter.com/dpmlxDViNn
— lolesports (@lolesports) April 23, 2017
But UOL just won an important fight backed up in their own base, taking the gold lead down to ... just a measly 14k gold.
Game 1, 30:00: G2 continues to extend its lead, so UOL attempts to sneak a desperation Baron at 29 minutes. But the AOE combination of Gangplank and Rumble’s respective ultimates wipe out UOL in the pit, giving G2 a pair of kills and the uncontested Baron.
G2 now has the buff with a 7-1 kill lead and a 8k gold lead.
Game 1, 20:00: Just like it did all regular season long, G2 is taking its small early lead and extending it around the map. While Trick ganks top to kill Vizicsacsi, PerkZ has a miraculous escape using his Ryze ulti in response to a Xerxe gank mid.
SAVED! @G2Perkz makes it out alive! #EULCS pic.twitter.com/HtoAAQSujw
— lolesports (@lolesports) April 23, 2017
G2 is up 3-0 with a nearly 4k gold lead, led by a 1.7k advantage for Expect in the top lane.
Game 1, 10:00: Hylissang gets caught playing with his food, as mithy keeps him in place while G2 collapses, earning Zven First Blood.
First Blood for @G2Zven in the #EULCS Spring Final! pic.twitter.com/lWDTn7PNSZ
— lolesports (@lolesports) April 23, 2017
Game 1, picks and bans:
UOL: Shen, Ivern, Vladimir, Caitlyn, Tahm Kench
G2: Gangplank, Rumble, Ryze, Ashe, Thresh
Game 1, pre-game: UOL manager Romain Bigeard is ready for the finals. Are you?
UOL manager @RomainBigeard sure going all out today #EULCS pic.twitter.com/5Ey5vkvHpJ
— Peter Adultman (@Pete_Volk) April 23, 2017
Two-team defending European champions G2 Esports and 2015 Spring runners-up Unicorns of Love will square off Sunday for the European crown and a spot at the Mid-Season Invitational in Brazil. The best-of-five series starts at 11 a.m. Eastern.
These teams met once in the regular season, with G2 taking the series 2-0. Both teams won their quarterfinal matches 3-1: G2 against Fnatic and UOL against Misfits. This match will also feature former EU LCS MVP Trick going up against newly-named EU LCS MVP Vizicsacsi.
Unicorns have had quite the successful year after just narrowly missing out on Worlds in 2016, winning IEM Oakland in November before finishing in first place in the Group B round robin. Now, UOL is making its first title series in two years, and taking on the region’s best in G2.
G2 has known no finish but first since qualifying for the EU LCS prior to the 2016 Spring Season. The team has since finished atop the league in every round robin and playoff series, and is looking for its third straight title.
Lineups
G2 Esports
- Top: Ki “Expect” Dae-han
- Jungle: Kim “Trick” Gang-yun
- Mid: Luka “PerkZ” Perković
- ADC: Jesper “Zven” Svenningsen
- Support: Alfonso “mithy” Aguirre Rodríguez
Unicorns of Love
- Top: Kiss “Vizicsacsi” Tamás
- Jungle: Andrei “Xerxe” Dragomir
- Mid: Fabian “Exileh” Schubert
- ADC: Samuel “Samux” Fernández Fort
- Support: Zdravets “Hylissang” Iliev Galabov
Series info and how to watch
You can watch the best-of-five series live on Lolesports as well as on the EULCS1 Twitch channel.