Matchförutsägelse: Team Liquid - Entity | Dota 2

We continue to review what is happening within The International 2022, where the playoffs of the main event of the year are currently being played at Suntec Singapore. We are on the third gaming day and are watching the last round of the second round of the lower bracket.

In the match for life at The International, Team Liquid and Entity will meet. Both clubs have ambitions for high places in the main tournament of the year, but after that, more than one of them will say goodbye to them.

We are trying to understand who exactly it will be, and who will be able to take another step towards the Aegis of Champions.

Form Team Liquid

Team Liquid will play as the favorite in this match. The chance for “horses” is estimated by bookmakers with a coefficient of around 1.5.

The figure is quite stable, which hints at a not strong, but a gap in favor of Team Liquid. In principle, we can agree with this.

Remembering the ranking season, mark Liquid as a potential winner or at least a participant in The International. The whole season the team “played” exclusively online, losing LAN after LAN.

We remember Liquid at ESL One Stockholm 2022, and we also remember at PGL Arlington Major 2022. At the two majors, the TOP-12 was the limit for Liquid, which definitely does not resonate with the status of the favorite of the main competition of the year.

The team didn't do well at commercial tournaments either. TOP 10 at Riyadh Masters, TOP 12 at ESL One Malaysia.

Faith in Liquid at The International 2022 qualifiers was solely due to Liquid's past accomplishments. At the qualifiers themselves, the team did not shine and naturally took TOP-3, passing to the Last Chance Qualifier.

A surprise for me personally was the passage of Liquid to The International 2022 from the second place in the Last Chance Qualfiier. Even more surprising was the success within the tournament itself.

Team Liquid results at The International 2022

The team got into group A, where it was opposed by the top clubs in China (PSG.LGD, RNG), the best team in Europe according to the results of the rating season OG, the strongest representative of North America EG and other less title but no less dangerous opponents.

Having accelerated during the Western European qualifiers and the last chance tournament, Team Liquid took second place in Group A.

The first playoff opponent for Liquid was the Chinese DotA giants from Team Aster. The team that took 4th place in group B left no chance for Team Liquid.

Although two games lasted over 40 minutes, they were virtually always controlled by Aster. The only opportunity for Liquid to catch on was on the second map, where the team began to dominate, but failed to translate the starting advantage into a result.

Team Liquid roster

• MATUMBAMAN
• MiCke
• zai
• Boxi
• InsaNia

Liquid has a roster that is experienced enough to bounce back from their loss against Aster. Add here a wide coaching staff and get a working mechanism, but not uninterrupted.

Heroes Team Liquid

In their picks, Liquid focuses on Death Prophet (4 matches, 75% wins), Mars (4 matches, 50% wins), Slark (3 matches, 66% wins), Vengeful Spirit (3 matches, 66% wins), Marci and Pudge (3 matches, 66% of wins).

Don't underestimate MATUMBA's signature characters like Lone Druid, Pudge and more. Also good is MiCke, often criticized in the mid lane, but this year playing a stable tournament.

Form Entity

In the status of catching up in this match, Entity will perform. The chance of their success is 2.3.

The gap is not big, but it is there. The thing is in the last months of the game in the rating standings and directly in the performance at TI itself.

Entity started this season on a healthy footing, but later let down. A typical practice for young teams that have just reached the grand level and are rushing to the top with courage.

A decent performance in the Western European league and TOP-6 at PGL Arlington Major 2022 did not give Team Liquid a direct invite to The International, but the team did not lose heart.

Without much difficulty, Entity took the qualifiers of the Western European region and went directly to the group stage of The International 2022.

After the performance at the qualifiers, Entity were assessed as a serious contender for the upper bracket, but in reality it turned out differently.

Entity results at The International 2022

The team failed the group stage in pot B, taking the last place there, giving a slot in the playoffs. They got it in replays against Talon.

The first match in the playoffs also cannot be called filigree, but it can be described as epic. The team played against RNG for more than 100 minutes, led 130+ thousand gold and still managed to knock out the Chinese who fell ill with COVID-19.

Entity Composition

• Pure
• Stormstormer
• Toby
• Kataomi
• Fishman

When we talk about the morality of Liquid, it is fair to discuss this aspect from the perspective of Entity as well. Winning a match against an RNG is a fantastic boost, no less.

Entity Heroes

Entities play a rather specific Dota, as evidenced by their picks. The most frequent guest in the team is Batrider, where Stormstormer played 7 times and won 6 matches. Next comes Visage (7 games, 71% win rate), Nyx Assassin (6 matches, 100% win rate), Undying (5 matches, 100% win rate), Earthshaker (4 matches, 100% win rate).

History of personal confrontations

Previously, the teams played each other three times during the season. Liquid won twice, but the last match in the qualifiers for TI ended with the victory of Entity.

The outcome of the fight

The European derby can bring quality DotA and most likely will do so. In this match, I will be for Liquid, as I like their game and tournament path more than Entity. Butting for 100+ minutes against heavily weakened RNGs is hardly a TOP-8 level of play.

Bottom line: Liquid wins.