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The Bracket Stage Mid-Season Invitational 2024 matches are heating up. We're talking about the lower bracket matches where teams have no margin for error.
Among them are T1 and Team Liquid. The clubs will hold their bo5 at stake to reach the top 4 of the tournament.
Let's see if Liquid has a chance to surprise the League of Legends giants, or if we are waiting for an unquestionable victory of the reigning Worlds 2023 T1 champions.
Let's go.
T1 Form.
Let's open the match with an analysis of T1's form. In this match they play as clear favourites with odds to win at just under 1.
T1 won the LCK Spring 2022 and then three consecutive top 2s: MSI, LCK Summer and Worlds 2022.
The curse of the Top 2 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 on the 5th map with his Xayah.
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 LNG out, closing the series with a score of 3-0.
In the Worlds 2023 semi-finals, T1 faced arguably 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. T1 faced BLG in the match to advance to the Top 3 and lost rather toothlessly with a 1-3 score.
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).
Form Liquid
We continue the match analysis with the analysis of Team Liquid's form. The first LCS team will play as an outsider with odds to win around 10.
While in 2022 the team was consistently in the top of the local league, finishing top 1 at LCS Lock In 2022, and then top 3 and top 4 at LCS Spring 2022 and LCS Summer 2022 respectively, the situation has changed in 2023. At LCS Spring 2023, the team finished Top 8, which is clearly not the level of a top club.
- Team Liquid lineup: Impact, UmTi, APA, Yeon, CoreJJ.
After the unsuccessful LCS Spring, the team changed the player of the central league. The newcomer was APA, who previously played for Team Liquid Challengers.
Liquid managed to qualify for the LCS Summer 2023 play-offs. They won the group with a score of 10-8, thus securing their place in the top play-offs.
However, they didn't last long there. In the first match Liquid lost to NRG, who are surprising this season. In the first match of the lower play-offs Liquid outplayed 100 Thieves 3-1 and here they are.
Liquid's next opponent in the play-offs was Dignitas. The latter were no competition for Liquid and the match ended 3-0 in favour of Liquid.
Next was a match against Golden Guardians. Being an outsider on paper, Liquid managed to overcome themselves and closed the series with a score of 3-2. A very nervous series, where after two taken cards Liquid gave up 2, but in the end they still finished what they started.
In the match for the grand final Team Liquid played with NRG. Quite unexpectedly, Liquid lost, and NRG subsequently became LCS Summer 2023 champions.
TL later attended Worlds 2023, where they failed to make it to the group stages, eventually finishing in the top 16. After failing at Worlds 2023, Liquid returned to their home harbour and confidently finished in the top 1 at LCS Spring 2024. They made their debut at the Mid-Season Invitational 2024 with a 0-3 loss against Top Esports.
Team Liquid's most popular champions
Kenen (3 matches, 100% wins), Gnar (3 matches, 33% wins), Jax (2 matches, 100% wins), Rumble (2 matches, 100% wins) are the most frequently sent to the top line.
Foresters pick Vi (4 matches, 50% wins), Wukong (4 matches, 75% wins), Sejuani (2 matches, 50% wins), Lee Sin (2 matches, 50% wins).
In the mid are Ziggs (2 matches, 100% wins), Tristana (1 match, 100% wins), Cassiopeia (1 match, 0 wins), Neeko (1 match, 1 win).
On Shooters Aphelios (6 matches, 66% wins), Ashe (3 matches, 33% wins), Lucia (1 match, 1 win), Samira (1 match, 1 win), Xayah (1 match, 0 wins).
On supporting champions Rakan (4 games, 50% wins), Milio (3 matches, 66% wins), Rell (3 matches, 33% wins).
History of head-to-head meetings between T1 and Liquid
T1 and Liquid played each other at Worlds 2023 and T1 won the group stage.
Predicted result of Liquid vs T1 at Mid-Season Invitational 2024
In this match, everything is a foregone conclusion before the Long Sogpeg of the match. Liquid have already reached the top 6 and this is a good result. It's possible to fight with T1, but defeat is inevitable.
Bottom line: T1 wins with a score of 3-0.
