Today’s Matches
Fnatic vs Invictus Gaming
The first match of the tournament pits the #1 seed from Europe against the #3 seed from China. This matchup appears to be a close one between the two favorites in Group B with the winner gaining an early lead in the group standings. A must watch game to see if Fnatic can maintain the momentum they have had since the last international tournament, MSI, and see how IG stacks up and performs on an international stage.
Cloud9 vs ahq e-Sports Club
The second match is the third seed from North America against the first seed from the League of Legends Master Series (LMS). If Cloud9 is going to go on a run and have a chance of getting out of Group B, a win here would be much needed as they are clear underdogs in this group. For ahq, they must beat Cloud9 and be able to take games off of Fnatic or IG to advance out of this group.
Advantage: ahq
SK Telecom T1 vs H2K
The #1 seed from Korea versus the #3 seed from Europe places SKT mid laner Faker vs H2K mid laner Ryu against each other for the first time since the semifinals of OGN Champions Winter 2013-2014. That time, Faker on SK T1 K won 3-0 against Ryu’s KT Rolster Bullets en route to an undefeated season and league title. This time, a chance to get ahead in Group C is at stake and SKT are once again huge favorites in this game and their group.
Advantage: SKT
Edward Gaming vs Bangkok Titans
The second Chinese seed will be playing an International Wild Card team from the Garena Premier League (GPL) in Group C. Edward Gaming are overwhelming favorites in this match but one thing to watch for is to see which top laner for EDG plays against the Titans’ WarL0ck in this game. EDG has AmazingJ and Koro1 on the roster and perhaps this match will show which one they will utilize during this World Championship.
Advantage: EDG
Counter Logic Gaming vs Flash Wolves
The #1 NA LCS seed takes on the #2 seed from the LMS in a Group A battle. The matchup to watch in this game is in the jungle, where the Flash Wolves’ Karsa looks to have an advantage on CLG’s Xmithie. Elsewhere, CLG should have a strong advantage in the top and bottom lanes with ZionSpartan, Doublelift, and aphromoo matching up well against Steak, Kkramer, and SwordArt respectively. CLG is the stronger overall team and should be able to take this match.
Advantage: CLG
paiN Gaming vs KOO Tigers
The other International Wild Card team from the CBLOL league in Brazil is playing versus the third seed from Korea. KOO are heavily favored and should be able to handle paiN. Matchup to watch is in the mid lane where paiN’s Kami takes on KOO’s KurO. KOO are also the favorites in Group A.
Advantage: KOO
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Game of the DayÂ
The game of the day is the first of the tournament, with Fnatic taking on Invictus Gaming. IG relies upon star jungler KaKAO and mid laner RooKie to deliver good performances and carry. KaKAO has a favorable matchup against Reignover in the jungle and if he is able to get an advantage, it may be enough for IG to ride to a victory. However, Fnatic’s top and bottom lanes match up well against IG’s and those could be the deciding factors. Fnatic should have the overall edge with their international experience and impressive performance at MSI and a home European crowd cheering them on.
Advantage: Fnatic
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