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Let's keep watching the action at LoL Worlds 2024. The World Championship play-offs are in full swing.
The quarter-final between T1 and Top Esports will take place on the 19th of October. As far as I'm concerned, the T1 vs Top Esports match will be the most interesting The International match of the whole first round of play-offs.
We try to understand how the top clash LPL - LCK will end and who from the pair T1 - Top Esports.
Let's go.
T1 Form.
We open the breakdown of the T1 - Top Esports match with an analysis of T1's playing form. In this match they are playing as favourites with a minimal margin. The odds on the reigning world champions to win are at around 1.8.
T1 won at LCK Spring 2022 and then three consecutive Top 2s: MSI, LCK Summer and Worlds 2022.
The curse of top-2s carried over to the 2023 season as well. At the Long Run of the Year, Faker and company took 2nd place at LCK Spring 2023, and then finished third at MSI 2023.
- T1 line-up: Zeus, Oner, Faker, Gumayusi, Keria.
LCK Summer 2023 was a real challenge for T1. The team made it to the play-offs, but did it with difficulty, taking 5th place in the group stage with the score 9-9.
There were problems for the main protagonist - Faker. The legendary mid laner injured his hand and it obviously affected the overall playing conditions of T1. But now Faker is kind of back on track.
The Faker factor has played out. T1 defeated a serious opponent in the person of Dplus and made their way to the next round, where their opponent will be KT Rolster. The latter, by the way, chose T1 as their opponent.
Next up was no less capable opponent than Dplus. Faker and company played against KT Rolster and won that match with a score of 3-2.
The opponent in the match for the play-offs for T1 was Gen.G. The first tried, and even started the game with the score 2-1, but it didn't work out: Gen.G camebacked, and Chovy was better than Faker.
In the grand final match T1 almost lost to KT Rolster after an excellent Long Sogpeg 2-0. They were saved by Gumayusi, who pulled it off with his Xayah on the 5th map.
However, it didn't allow them to win the final. T1 faced their nemesis Gen.G, where they crushingly lost 0-3.
T1 opened Worlds 2023 with a game against Liquid. Being the clear favourite of the series they closed the match against Liquid in their favour, but it was not an easy win: Liquid held on for 36 minutes and Ledge only 1 kill. Everything was decided in the final midlane brawl, after which T1 closed the series.
In a 1-0 basket, T1 ran into their own kryptonite - Gen.G. Faker and company started great, but the first LCK team was the first to adjust the pace of the game to their own and eventually win the match.
Next up, T1 faced Cloud9. Perhaps, it was the most defeated match of all that I had the chance to watch on this Worlds. Naturally, it ended in T1's favour.
After trampling Cloud9 T1 started to beat Bilibili Gaming, and they succeeded. T1 easily defeated the vice-champions MSI 2023 with the score 2-0.
In the play-offs, T1 played against LNG. Scout, who was not unreasonably named the best player of Worlds 2023, was like that until the 5th of November: T1 wiped out LNG, closing the series with a score of 3-0.
In the semi-finals of Worlds 2023, T1 faced perhaps the top contender to win the championship, JD Gaming. As formidable as the Chinese were, they were unable to outplay the experienced T1. As a result, Faker and company won the match with a score of 3-1 and T1 for the sixth (!) time made it to the grand finals of the most important League of Legends tournament. And then won it for the 4th time, which is an absolute record in competitive League of Legends and in esports in general.
After an excellent Long Cоrnеg regular season, LCK Spring 2024 T1s slipped a bit in the regular season, finishing 15-3 and in third place. T1 started the championship playoffs with a match against Hanwha Life Esports and surprisingly for me, they blew the game wide open, losing it 0-3. In the lower play-offs T1 played against DPlus KIA and beat them 3-0. Next, they defeated their HLE opponents 3-1, thus becoming the second and last Korean team at MSI 2024.
T1 made it to the Mid-Season Invitational 2024 after finishing in the top 2 at LCK Spring 2024. At the MSI 2024 MSI Play-In, T1 easily took the two series 2-0 and advanced to the Bracket Stage. They started off the Bracket Stage with a nerve-wracking 3-2 win over G2 Esports. In the match to advance to the top 3 T1 faced BLG and lost rather toothlessly with a 1-3 score. Next up was a match against Liquid, where T1 won 3-1. After that they played against G2 Esports in a rematch of the first round of MSI 2024 and again they won, but this time cleanly - 3-0 in favour of T1. But in the next match T1 could not win: BLG outplayed T1 with the score 3-1.
To play at Esports World Cup 2024, T1 interrupted their performance at LCK Summer 2024, where they had a 5-1 record.
In between LCK Summer 2024 matches, T1 tasted Riyadh, where they became the champions of Esports World Cup 2024 with a prize money of $1,000,000. They defeated TOP Esports in the grand finals.
T1 entered the LCK Summer 2024 play-offs from the 4th place of the regular season. During LCK Summer 2024, they were 11-7, which is not a good result for a club of T1's level. In the first LCK Summer 2024 play-offs T1 beat KT Rolster 3-1, but then ran into HLE and Ledgeili 0-3. Later they outplayed DPlus KIA, but then they repeated the match with HLE and again lost 1-3 and as a result LCK Summer 2024 top 3.
At Worlds 2024 T1 made it to the LCK Regional Finals, where they defeated KT Rolster by a narrow 3-2 margin in the match to qualify for the World Championship.
At Worlds 2024 T1 debuted with a loss to Top Esports in a close match. Then they easily defeated paiN Gaming and defeated Bilibili Gaming in a tough match, which brought them to a 2-1 score. In the play-offs match, T1 outlasted G2 Esports 2-0.
The most popular T1 champions
Fiora (5 games, 60% wins) was the most often sent to the top line. There was also Jax (3 games, 100% wins), Camile (2 matches, 100% wins), Irelia (2 matches, 100% wins).
In the forest Maokai (7 matches, 85% wins), Sejuani (4 games, 75% wins), Viego (2 matches, 100% wins).
The centre line was occupied by Azir (5 matches, 80% wins), Sylas (3 games, 66% wins), Kassadin (2 matches, 100% wins), Ryze (2 games, 50% wins).
Shooters: Varus (4 games, 50% wins), Lucian (4 games, 100% wins).
Various Sapports: Nami (3 games, 100% wins), Ashe (3 games, 0 wins), Varus (2 games, 100% wins), Miss Fortune (2 matches, 100% wins).
Top Esports Form
We continue the analysis of Top Esports vs T1 match with the analysis of Top Esports form. In this match, they play the number two with odds to win around 1.9.
In 2022, Top Esports finished top-2 in the domestic league twice before appearing at the 2022 Worlds where they finished top-10. In the new season, the situation is slightly worse: they finished top-7 in the LPL Spring 2023, managing to qualify for the play-offs but failing to win a single game there.
- Tes Esports roster: 369, Tian, Creme, JackeyLove, Meiko.
The group stage for TOP Esports was pleasant, but far from perfect. TES shared the top 4 of the regular season with LNG, winning 12-4 in the series.
In their first play-offs match, TES faced serious resistance from EDG. TES defeated their counterparts by a score of 3-2.
TES fell to the bottom seed after a clash with Bilibili Gaming. That match ended with a 3-1 victory for the latter. Further bad luck continued in the lower grid of LPL Summer 2023. In the match for life at the tournament TES met LNG Esports, tried to impose a fight, but were powerless, lost with a score of 1-3 and left the tournament on the 4th line.
TES later played at the LPL Regional Finals 2023, where they tried to make it to the Worlds. Again they came up just short, as TES Ledge beat WBG 2-3, thus losing their chances of making it to Worlds 2023.
TES also had NEST 2023, where TES failed to make it out of the group, finishing 2-1. The group stage of Demacia Cup 2023 was quite easy for TOP Esports: they didn't lose a single match in Group D and easily made it to the main stage. However, in the play-offs, TES did not have the same ease: TOP Esports lost their first play-offs match to Ledgeiv JDG 2-3, which is not too bad considering the overall condition of the teams during the last season.
TOP Esports had a very good LPL Spring 2024 regular season: the team went 13-3, thus advancing straight to the Double-Elimination stage. In their first round of play-offs, TES played against JD Gaming and easily stomped them 3-0. Next were BLG in the match for the play-offs and there unfolded a real drama with a 3-2 victory in favour of Bilibili Gaming. In the LPL Spring 2024 Grand Finals, TES played against JD Gaming and were outplayed for the second time.
In the LPL Spring 2024 Grand Finals, TOP Esports played against Bilibili Gaming and lost 1-3.
In the first match of the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2024 Top Esports easily defeated LOUD with a score of 2-0. In the Bracket Stage match, TES played against Fnatic, where they won 2-1. They made their Bracket Stage debut with a solid 3-0 win over Liquid. Next was a defeat by Gen.G, followed by an elimination by G2 Esports and, as a result, Top 6.
TOP Esports also played at Esports World Cup 2024, where they reached the grand finals, but lost to T1.
At Worlds 2024, TES went from third place LPL Summer 2024 where Ledgeili WBG. The Long Sogpeg World Championship itself was won by the reigning world champions T1. Next was a loss to Gen.G, and then a solid win over Fnatic. In the play-offs match, Top Esports defeated DPlus KIA 2-0.
Top Esports' most popular champions
KSante (7 matches, 85% wins) and Renekton (5 matches, 80% wins) remain the most popular top line picks. Sion (3 matches, 66% wins) and Darius (2 matches, 100% wins) are next.
Sejuani (9 games, 77% wins), Vi (4 games, 75% wins), Maokai (4 games, 100% wins) are ubiquitous in the forest.
Jayce (6 games, 100% wins) appears in the mid (6 games, 100% wins). Next are Azir (4 games, 75% wins), Akali (3 games, 66% wins), Sylas (3 games, 33% wins).
TES has a standard set of shooters: Lucian (6 games, 66% wins), Varus (4 games, 100% wins), Sivir (3 games, 33% wins). Draven (3 games, 66% wins) and Jhin (3 matches, 66% wins).
The pool of players: Nami (6 games, 66% wins), Yuumi (4 games, 75% wins), Nautilus (4 games, 75% wins), Heimerdinger (4 games, 100% wins).
History of head-to-head meetings between Top Esports and T1
In the 2024 season, T1 and TES crossed each other twice in official meetings. T1 won the final of the Esports World Cup 2024, while Tes won the first round of the Swiss Stage at Worlds 2024.
Predicted result of T1 vs Top Esports match at LoL Worlds 2024
The bo5 format will be more convenient for T1. We have already seen how teams play in bo5 and the LPL team didn't have much chance there. Yes, T1s don't look ultimates but they always transform in play-offs Worlds. To me, that's what will happen in the match against TES and they can advance to the next match where they will most likely play against Gen.G.
Bottom line: T1 wins.