Which lanes will matter most in League of Legends NA and EU finals?

It’s time. After this weekend, one team will be able to claim that they are the best in their region. Europe and North America’s LCS finals happen Sunday, and the two best-of-five matches promise to be exemplary showcases of the game’s biggest talents.

With the No. 1 seeds from both regions competing in the finals, most would agree that the results will work out in favor of G2 and Team SoloMid. But each of their competitors – Splyce and Cloud9 – are just as eager to surprise their critics and upset the odds. Here’s a look at some of the key lane match-ups that should make this weekend’s games a final to remember.

Europe

The spring split winners are back to defend their crown. G2 already has secured a spot at Worlds, and would probably like to do a little better on the international stage than they did at MSI. Opposing them are the underdog crew of Splyce.

Top Lane: Expect vs Wunder

For the entire split, Expect has been the wild card for G2. Given the management’s willingness to change starters, the organization clearly has faith in Expect’s abilities. He has some standout moments and but also makes some mistakes that you wouldn’t anticipate seeing from a member of this elite squad. The spring split winners may have the edge going into this match, but the top lane seems to be the place where cracks are most likely to be found in the top seed’s armor.

And if those cracks to appear, you can bet Wunder will be charging in on the attack. He outright clobbered Odoamne during Splyce’s semifinal match against H2K. He also turned enough heads during the season to be recognized with a spot in the All-LCS Team. After a tough run in the spring, Wunder has been a bit more measured this summer, making smarter choices in when to turn on the aggression. He also gets stellar backing from Trashy in the jungle. But he has shown some weaknesses of his own. That semifinal performance was on the back of his Gnar play. Can he be equally effective with another champion in the match-up against Expect? If he’s this dominant, the top lane will be a bloodbath:

Support: Mithy vs Mikyx

The new face on Splyce this split was no small factor in helping the rag-tag bunch transform from the relegation in spring to the finals contenders they are now. Mikyx's impeccable Bard play stood out early on (he’s undefeated on the champion this split), but he’s also had excellent performances on Karma and Braum. This may be the first time on the big stage for Mikyx, but he’s shown no signs of nerves thus far, and was one of the best rookies this split.

He’s be squaring off against Mithy. He’s also no slouch on Bard (as you can see above), which means the support role could end up being pinched during the pick/ban phase. Where Mikyx is still new, Mithy comes to the finals with years of experience working with his AD carry Zven. And since G2’s play style has shifted to put more focus on that bottom lane duo, Mithy is also used to switching between offensive and defensive modes.

North America

Team SoloMid and Cloud9 have been paired up in this position before, and each has walked away with wins. TSM has the edge this time around; they haven’t lost yet. But Cloud9 stomped over Immortals in the semifinals, and proved that they have the ability to take out seemingly unkillable squads.

Mid Lane: Bjergsen vs Jensen

This is shaping up to be a clash of titans. Both Bjergsen of TSM and Jersen of C9 are contenders in the discussion about who might be North America’s best mid-laner. Both have impressive careers, skills and stats.

Jensen’s abilities can seem akin to mind-reading, considering how well he anticipates other players. Each juke perfectly dodges the skillshots, each attack bodies hard. He will probably be coming into the finals with no fear, as he did in this game against Apex (complete with a pentakill):

But Bjergsen will test his skills. He’s willing to play patient, to bait other players into an error and then punish the mistake with clinical efficiency. Expect this to be a mental game showdown as much as a display of technical prowess.

AD Carry: Doublelift vs Sneaky

This pairing should also be an explosive one. Doublelift’s abilities are well-known. He talks a big game but usually backs up the trash talk with loads of kills -- more than 1,000 of them over the course of his career. After TSM’s disappointing spring performance, you can bet Doublelift will be going into the finals prepared to do serious work and make a statement about the team’s prospects going into Worlds. Check him out scoring a pentakill over Immortals in week 9:

Doublelift’s aggressive play is a tall mountain for any player to climb, but C9’s Sneaky has the chops to keep things interesting. He’s been dominating on power picks like Ashe and Sivir, but is also a Jhin master. He stepped up his laning performance during the playoffs, even besting some of Doublelift’s stats. Especially now that he’s only working with the re-ignited Smoothie on support, Sneaky could at the very least be a thorn in the side of the TSM bot lane.