Evil Geniuses
Before the season, this team was viewed very ambiguously – some analysts said that this team would undoubtedly be among the contenders to win the season, while others said that it would likely not succeed because, compared to other teams, Evil Geniuses would need more time to gel. However, the first scenario happened, and we see Evil Geniuses among the three teams left in the fight for the NA LCS championship title.
The team, which joined the North American League of Legends main championship only this year, has assembled a competitive roster. Jiizuke (Mid), who shone in Europe, has already made impressive moments in the EG lineup. Last season's main support player for Cloud 9, Zeyzal, also joined EG, where he seems to have found his place. However, the most important detail in this team's lineup is one of America's best junglers, Svenskeren. The player, who has accumulated long-term experience at the highest level, is excellent at making decisions in crucial match moments and individually outplays most competitors.
Evil Geniuses started the season with difficulty, raising questions about whether the team would be able to catch up with the playoffs train. However, as expected, the newly assembled team gelled together as the season progressed and began to show much better form. EG finished the season by winning 6 out of 8 matches, and after additional matches to share places in the standings, they finished the season in 2nd place. Having lost a series to Cloud 9 with a 3-1 result once, Evil Geniuses should have learned from that series and prepared changes that could help in this semifinal match.
FlyQuest
FlyQuest proved once again in the series against TSM why they are considered one of the league's most unpredictable teams. Defying all predictions and playing the early stages of matches excellently, FlyQuest eliminated TSM from the playoffs and got a chance to compete for a spot in the final. Indeed, after losing the series to EG in the first playoff stage with a 3-1 result, FlyQuest seemed to have drawn conclusions and followed up with victories of 3-0 against Golden Guardians and 3-2 against TSM.
FlyQuest won the series against TSM by playing the early stages of matches excellently, so this should continue to be the emphasis that this team could use to pose a more serious challenge to EG. In the first meeting of these teams, FlyQuest drafted rather poorly, leading to poor team compositions compared to the team's strengths and the competitors' lineup. FlyQuest looks best when they gain an advantage in the early stages and only then can they stay in the match. Without gaining an early advantage, FlyQuest often “collapses” in the mid-late game stage and loses control of the match.
H2H
Evil Geniuses won both matches in the regular season and the first playoff match with a 3-1 result.
Prediction
Evil Geniuses and FlyQuest will meet for the second time in these playoffs. It is often said that it is more difficult to beat the same team a second time in a short period, but the situation here is somewhat different. FlyQuest has a clear playstyle, which requires them to get ahead in the early stages to win. Although Evil Geniuses is a newly assembled team, it is also one of the most experienced teams, so they will surely find ways to neutralize FlyQuest's main strength. It is very likely that Evil Geniuses will finish the series with a 3-0 or 3-1 result, so giving a -1.5 game advantage is a good choice for this series.
