SK’s Yasuo-Rakan bot lane pays off in comeback victory over Vitality to keep LEC playoff hopes alive

As SK Gaming came into the final weekend of the LEC Summer Split in ninth place with a record of 6-9, every game was a must-win for the team. Against Team Vitality, they took their first steps toward making a late-season run to the playoffs a reality, winning the game with an out-of-left-field team composition that left Vitality struggling for answers.  

With their playoff chances slimming and the race to the postseason becoming direr, SK did everything in their power to throw Vitality off their game in today’s contest. Starting in the draft, SK picked unorthodox champions across the Rift, including Darius in the top lane, as well as a Yasuo-Rakan combination down in the bottom lane. 

And while it appeared as though the composition wouldn’t find its footing early on, a monumental comeback in the mid-to-late game from SK to win the game. In fact, 23 minutes in, SK were down by over 5,000 gold, and a Vitality victory seemed like a formality. 

Still, SK’s composition turned things around, as the team’s aggressive engagements were strong enough to end teamfights as soon as they started, with Treatz’s Rakan and Gillius’ Vi providing enough lockdown in skirmishes for the rest of the team to capitalize upon. Bursty champions like Jezu’s Yasuo and Sertuss’ LeBlanc deleted Vitality off the map in the later stages of the game, making it borderline impossible for Vitality’s sustained damage-focused team composition to get off the ground. 

In total, the unorthodox Yasuo-Rakan bottom lane paid off in droves for SK, as Jezu posted a 6/2/7 scoreline on Yasuo, while Treatz claimed an assist on 13 of SK’s 15 kills on the day. 

Vitality entered the day part of the four-way tie for second place in the LEC alongside Misfits, G2, and Rogue. Misfits handled their business earlier in the day against Team BDS, but with this loss, Vitality have temporarily dropped into fifth place in the league. If they had won, they would have qualified for at least a playoff tiebreaker, but as of now, their playoff chances remain uncertain. Currently, only one team, MAD Lions, have guaranteed themselves a playoff spot. 

SK Gaming will return to the LEC stage tomorrow as they look to keep their postseason dreams alive against a struggling Excel Esports squad.