Fnatic vs. Schalke 04 isn’t exactly the most premier Best of 5 one could imagine, but it’s not half bad either, and as far as predictions go, this is a relatively easy one to make! So, in all fairness, it’s impossible to complain. The outcome is pretty much a foregone conclusion, and we’re all but guaranteed to witness a ton of action, so it’s a win-win situation no matter how you slice it!
No one seems all that convinced, and, well, there’s a good reason why. As an organization, they often came close but faltered when it mattered most. Now, make no mistake: Schalke is fielding a phenomenal line-up but they — much like so many of their peers — pale in comparison to G2 Esports and, to a certain degree, even Fnatic.
And, frankly, that’s always been the case. Sometimes they lacked experience, and other times their players just weren’t talented enough to compete at the highest of levels.
As a result, they’ve never been able to break free from their seemingly inherent underdog status and that, by the looks of it, is still the case in 2021 — not that anyone’s overly surprised. Now sure, they looked pretty darn great against G2 Esports but, as is so often the case, most of their competitiveness came as a result of G2 fooling around and not trying their hardest. That’s what happens whenever they’re up against anyone other than Fnatic — they tend to go on auto-pilot and throw caution out the window.
G2 likes playing with their backs against the wall precisely because they know they’re good enough to claw their way out of a seemingly guaranteed defeat. And, well, it’s obvious that they prefer a challenge over a clean sweep. Fnatic, on the other hand, are nowhere near as “unhinged,” which means they don’t intend on giving Schalke nearly as much room to maneuver.
Perish the thought. But if they prepare as well as they can and execute to the best of their ability, they should definitely be the ones getting their hands raised once all is said and done.
A Feisty Challenger Worthy of Respect
Schalke never lacked for feistiness or grit. In fact, that’s sort of been their most defining characteristic. They always faced unfavorable odds, but they still found a way to persevere no matter how perilous the road ahead of them seemed.
And, as far as Schalke’s history goes, it’s populated with nothing but failures. And it matters very little if they nearly got the job done — they failed regardless if it was a competitive affair of not.
Fnatic are by no means the epitome of consistency, but they’re noticeably more experienced and talented than the vast majority of their opposition and have earned our benefit of the doubt. A couple of drops in performance throughout the split (one of which came as a result of a serious COVID-19 scare) simply aren’t enough to diminish their overall worth and momentum.
But even in this weakened state, they shouldn’t have too much trouble in taking Schalke 04 down. It’s not going to be easy, of course, but they’re favored for a reason. Their tendency to throw caution out the window and skirmish like there’s no tomorrow is definitely a cause for concern, but they’re still better across the board and are fully aware of what Schalke might bring to the table. If they put their best foot forward and execute as well as they can, Fnatic should definitely be able to get the “W.”
Odds are courtesy of BetOnline. You can check out our BetOnline review here.
