On the final day of the regular season in the LEC summer split, the EMEA elite of League of Legends, Fnatic will meet BDS in a clash between two podium teams. After years of turmoil, both teams seem to have reached their cruising speed in 2024 and are undeniably among the best teams in the league. One of the main reasons both have achieved such consistent success is their main binder: the jungler. Théo "Sheo" Borile and Iván "Razork" Martín Díaz are undoubtedly among Europe's finest in this role, and their battle promises to be a tough one this Sunday. Analysis.

While both players have proved throughout their careers that they are capable of playing any style of champions, each has allowed his preferences to shine through since the start of the summer split. By the end of the third week, Razork seems to have a soft spot for bruisers such as Vi (2 matches) and Xin Zhao (3 matches). These two champions are very strong in skirmishes and capable of shaking things up in the mid-game.

LPL vs LCK

Sheo, on the other hand, prefers carries and especially AP carries, champions who are generally more selfish and seek to glean as many resources as possible. With two Taliyahs, a Rumble, and a Karthus, he is the only jungler in the league who has diversified his champion pool so much and found that much success with it. Even so, he achieved his best KDA in his only tank game this season, with Sejuani (13 KDA), proving that the Frenchman is still working on his classics.

These two types of champions in the jungle reflect different styles of play between the two players, but also between the two teams. Fnatic and Razork love blood, put a lot of rhythm on the map, and, once they've got the upper hand, unroll by choking their opponents with their aggressiveness. BDS and Sheo, on the other hand, prefer controlled games, gradually building up an advantage on the map by locking up the game until they finally checkmate their opponents. In the end, the Orange and Black are the most faithful to the LPL in Europe, while the Swiss structure seems to have learned a lot from the LCK.

That's why Sheo isn't very proactive at the start of the game, preferring to secure an economic advantage over his opponent by farming before joining his team and accelerating the mid-game on objectives or side catches. It's clear that he's playing this style very well, firstly because his team is achieving very good results, but also because his statistics bear this out.

Numbers never lie

Where all the LEC junglers are between 300 and 360 gold per minute at the end of the third week, Sheo is far ahead with 401 GPM. However, the statistic where he stands out the most from his direct rivals is the gold differential at 15 minutes. The league runner-up, Lyncas, is at +75 on average, while Sheo is at +765 gold differential at 15 minutes on average. This striking difference is obviously linked to Sheo's level of play and the voracious champions he generally plays in the jungle, but also to the ability of the rest of his team to lock the game and not give in to pressure from the opposing jungler.

It now remains to be seen whether the pressure and pace imposed by Fnatic and Razork can break the Swiss team down. It's not without reason that the Spaniard has earned his place in our Team of the Week on two out of three occasions. Aggressive but fair, Razork has the best average KDA of the players in his role (5.6) and ranks high in the overall player standings (6th). BDS will also have to be vigilant when it comes to neutral objectives, as Razork likes 50/50 situations and has already stolen Nashor twice this summer.

So, it's the clash of styles between the junglers, reflected in the profound differences in the way the two teams play, that should be displayed this Sunday. If BDS can tame Fnatic and impose a slow, controlled pace, Sheo and Co. will undoubtedly have the upper hand. On the other hand, if Razork and his team go wild and manage to disrupt the Swiss team's rigorous game plan by taking an early lead, then it will be the Black and Orange who will hold the cards.