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League of Legends World Championship 2024 is heating up. The Swiss Stage continues, with clubs fighting for play-offs, of which there are only 3 left.
Among the contenders for the play-offs are Weibo Gaming and Fnatic, although they have a lot of work to do, as both teams are still in the 1-2 basket.
Let's see how the match Fnatic - Weibo Gaming will end and who will go to the next stage, to the basket 2-2.
Let's go.
Weibo Gaming uniforms
Let's open the analysis of the match WBG - Fnatic with the analysis of Weibo Gaming form. In this match they play as favourites with odds to win at around 1.2.
Weibo Gaming can be called a newcomer to the LPL, as the club appeared on the esports radar and the big stage in 2021, and debuted on the LPL in 2022.
As a rookie, the results were very good. Weibo made the top 8 twice in 2022, finishing top 6 at LPL Spring 2022 and top 8 at LPL Summer 2022.
At the last tournament played before LPL Summer 2023, the previous LPL Spring 2023 split, the team again finished in the top 6. It's not surprising, as the club has a huge roster.
- Weibo Gaming roster: Breathe, Tarzan, Xiaohu, Light, Crisp.
Weibo Gaming very confidently entered the play-offs of the championship. In the group stage of LPL Summer 2023 the team played on the score 10-6, which allowed to take the sixth place.
Weibo's first opponent in the play-offs was Ninjas in Pyjamas, who made a great run through the group stage and then surprised in the play-offs, reaching the top 8. But obviously they couldn't win, with Weibo winning 3-1.
Weibo's next opponent in the LPL Summer 2023 play-offs was LNG Esports, who showed top flight performance in the regular season, reaching the top 2 of the league and almost beating JD Gaming in the finals. Nevertheless, it was Weibo LNG that LNG had to deal with in the play-offs, and that match ended with the score 2-3 not in favour of WG.
In the regional finals Weibo started their performance from the lower grid, where their opponent was TES. A willful 3-2 win was a key argument in favour of Weibo's advantage in this match.
Next up, Weibo played against EDG for a slot at Worlds 2023. WBG played quite a game and ended up shutting out EDward with a 3-1 score, earning a place at Worlds 2023.
In the opening match at Worlds 2023, Weibo Gaming faced off against NRG. The match ended exactly as it should have: absolute annihilation of the first team of America and an easy victory for Weio.
Next, Weibo played against G2 Esports, and this match was perhaps the most unexpected of all at Worlds 2023. G2 Esports outplayed their vis-a-vis in a mind-blowing series, thus sending Weibo to a 1-1 score. Spurred on by the loss from G2 Esports Weibo Ledgeili to host the stage in the form of KT Rolster.
Having hit the net 1-2 Weibo Gaming without any problems swatted MAD Lions, and after that went to play with another representative of the LEC - Fnatic. Weibo Gaming won the decisive match in the Swiss stage after falling behind by one card.
In the first round of play-offs WBG met NRG. The only team from the West only put up a fight on the first of the three maps played, but that wasn't even close to enough to give WBG problems.
In the semi-finals, Weibo met fellow vice-champions MSI 2023 Bibili Gaming. The LPL resident derby was one of the most colourful matches and ended on 5 maps with the score 3-2 in favour of WBG.
In the last match of last season WBG met T1 in the grand final of Worlds 2023. That match ended with a total beating of the Chinese club and T1's fourth win at the Worlds. And before the Long Sogpeg, LPL Spring 2024 had time to play at the local event of the Demacia Cup series, Demacia Cup 2023, where they reached the play-offs, but did not move further than the first round.
The group stage of LPL Spring 2024 Weibo played surprisingly poorly, as for a team of this status. WBG took seventh place in the LPL Spring 2024 regular season, finishing 8-8. In the first round of play-offs Weibo shut out Invictus Gaming with a score of 3-2. Next up was a much tougher opponent in the form of LNG Esports and Weibo Gaming managed to handle them as well, finishing the match with a score of 3-2. However, the next match, and it was the game with JD Gaming, everything ended. As a result - top 6.
At LPL Summer 2024 WBG Long Competed from Group D, where they took the top 3 and went to the top grid of the Rumble Stage. Already it was 5-3, which allowed them to get straight into the 3rd round of play-offs. There they handled NiP, closing them out with a 3-1 score. However, next was the match with BLG and there WBG were beaten 0-3. In the match for the top 3 Weibo Gaming defeated LNG in a very unexpected way to advance to the next round. LPL Summer 2024 also had a surprisingly strong performance in their match to advance to the grand finals, defeating TES 3-2. Unfortunately for WBG fans, the grand final ended quickly and irrevocably: 0-3 in favour of BLG and second place for WBG.
At Worlds 2024, last year's Worlds finalist advanced to the second place LPL Regional Finals 2024. Long Sogpeg's Worlds Championship was followed by a loss to Gen.G before beating Liquid. Next up was a loss to G2 Esports and a 1-2 setback.
Weibo Gaming's most popular champions in spades
Weibo Gaming is not known for diversity in the top line up. TheShy plays KSante (10 games, 8 wins), Gnar (6 matches, 50% wins). Sion (2 matches, 100% wins) and Renekton (2 matches, 50% wins) make rare appearances.
The ubiquitous Maokai is ignored in the forest (appeared only once and lost). But Vi (6 games, 100% wins), Elise (6 games, 60% wins), Sejuani (4 games, 75% wins) get quite a lot of attention.
The centre line is occupied by Syndra (7 games, 85% wins), Ryze (4 games, 0% wins), Talliyah (3 games, 66% wins).
From shooters like Lucian (5 matches, 80% wins), Varus (4 games, 75% wins), Zeri, Sivir and Caitlyn appeared 3 times each and only Sivir didn't win a single game.
Sapports: Nami (7 matches, 85% wins), Ashe (4 matches, 50% wins), Yummi (3 matches, 33% wins).
Fnatic uniforms
We continue the analysis of Fnatic vs Weibo match with the analysis of Fnatic's form. In this match they are playing as the number two with odds to win around 4.
- Fnatic lineup: Oscarinin, Razork, Humanoid, Noah, Jun.
Two terrible splits resulted in major re-structuring. ADC Rekkles and support Advienne left the band. In their place came Korean legionnaire Noah and experienced support Trymbi. The result was not long in coming.
Fnatic looked much better at the LEC summer split than at the two previous ones. The team managed to make it through the group stage and then made it to the top 3 of LEC Summer 2023, which allowed them to advance to the regional finals. Here's the truth, to the bottom set.
Fnatic played against Excel - the main opener of LEC Summer 2023 - in the match to advance to the Top 4 and won. They won 3-2 in a tense bo5.
In the match for the LEC Finals 2023 Small Final, Fnatic and BDS had a real fight (3-2), and Fnatic ended up here.
They also managed to beat MAD Lions, with whom they played for a place in the grand final. And again, the full-fledged bo5 with a score of 3-2 in favour of the Orange. But the grand final was not enough: G2 Esports beat Fnatic 3-1.
At Worlds 2023, Orange played to the best of their ability. The club lost the first match against LNG Esports, and then outplayed the Vietnamese from GAM Esports.
The last match on the way to a 1-2 set was a match against BLG, which Fnatic legitimately lost. Then FNC defeated C9 with a score of 2-1, and in the match for play-offs Ledge and WBG. The latter, by the way, became the vice-champion of the World Championship, so the result for the European club was excellent.
Fnatic will debut at LEC Winter 2024 with a match against Karmine Corp. Based on the experience of previous seasons, there is every chance to see the favourite (which is Fnatic) lose in that match. Next, they will face Vitality and this is where I would bet in favour of the Orange. That's pretty much how it turned out, except for the match against Karmine Corp: Fnatic closed two series, but lost in the match against SK Gaming.
Fnatic had a pretty good start to the regular season, but it got worse from there. Fnatic finished the regular season with a score of 5-4. The LEC Winter 2024 playoffs "Orange Longsong" with a very confident victory against MAD Lions. Next, Fnatic played against G2 Esports and looked good there, even managing to snatch a card, which no one has managed to do so far.
In the match for the quarter-finals Fnatic met with SK Gaming. The German club put up a fight, but Fnatic were stronger: 2-1 in favour of Humanoid and company guaranteed their passage to the top 4 of LEC Winter 2024.
In the next match, Fnatic were able to fight G2 Esports and take the map away from them, but they were unable to surpass the Samurai in the match. Fnatic also failed to get a chance to continue their participation in the tournament in the lower grid, where Fnatic lost to MAD Lions KOI with a score of 2-3. At the end of LEC Winter 2024, Fnatic finished in the top 4.
LEC Spring 2024 Fnatic finished the LEC Spring 2024 regular season in the top spot, something the team hasn't had since 2019. In the first round of the play-offs, Fnatic shut out GIANTX on a classy basis. In the match to advance to the upper grid finals, LEC Spring 2024 faced G2 and lost 0-2 without a chance. In the lower grid, they also had difficulties, like in the game against Heretics, but in the end they were able to defeat their counterparts with a score of 2-1 and move on. In the match for the top 3, Fnatic met Vitality and confidently ran them over with a score of 3-1.
For the grand final of LEC Spring 2024 Fnatic fought against BDS and it was a real spectacle: the "orange" were 0-2 down, but on the character made a reverse sweep and closed the series in their favour. As a result, Fnatic will also go to MSI 2024. In the grand finals of LEC Spring 2024 Orange played against G2 Esports and lost that match.
Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2024 Fnatic started off with a 2-0 win over GAM Esports without any problems at all. In the top set match they met Top Esports and put up a good fight: they took the map, but eventually lost the series with a 1-2 score. In the MSI 2024 Fnatic again defeated GAM Esports 2-0 in the play-offs match. In the first Bracket Stage match, they lost to Gen.G with a score of 0-3, but they showed the game. But in the lower Bracket Stage match, Fnatic very unexpectedly lost to TL with a score of 1-3, thus leaving MSI 2024 at the Top 8 stage.
Before the Esports World Cup 2024, Fnatic confidently entered the LEC Summer 2024 play-offs with a score of 6-3. At the EWC tournament itself, Fnatic finished in the top 6.
They started the LEC Summer 2024 playoffs with a match against GiantX, where they were total favourites to win the card. In the next match, SK Gaming was shut out, which was a minimal sensation at the play-offs. In the grand finals they defeated G2 Esports, but in the decisive match they could not repeat the success of the top grid: G2 beat Fnatic 3-0.
At Worlds 2024, Fnatic made it through the LEC Regional Finals 2024, finishing in the top 2. In the next match they played against GAM Esports, where they won pretty convincingly. In the 1-1 set Fnatic was "lucky" to play against Top Esports, where the "orange" lost confidently.
Fnatic's most popular champions
Jax (3 matches, 33% wins), Gwen (2 matches, 50% wins), Gangplank (2 matches, 50% wins), Jayce (2 games, 50% wins) take the top line.
In the woods, Maokai (7 matches, 42% wins), Sejuani (4 games, 25% wins), Vi (3 games, 66% wins) were permanent.
The centre line was most often occupied by Sylas (5 matches, 40% wins), Ryze (3 games, 100% wins), Akali (2 games, 0 wins).
Zeri and Sivir peaked equally often on the shooter position. Both heroes appeared 4 times, but the former won all his games, and the latter - none.
Ashe appeared most often amongst the Spurrots. Archer was chosen 5 times and won 2 matches. Yuumi (4 matches, 75% wins), Heimerdinger (4 matches, 25% wins) were also frequently played.
History of head-to-head meetings between Fnatic and Top Esports.
The last time they played each other was in 2023 season and WBG won that time.
Predicted result of Top Esports vs Fnatic at Worlds 2024
In the duel between the residents of LPL and LEC it is difficult to bet on the latter. Fnatic are playing at their level, neither worse nor better. And I highly doubt that their level will be enough to beat WBG. Maybe to take the map, but the series - I doubt it.
Bottom line: WBG wins 2-0.
