It’s the calm before the storm over in Singapore, where the International 11 (TI11) is held. Teams across various social media platforms are giving their banters to their soon-to-be opponents on the Main Stage of TI11. For instance, Evil Geniuses, which gave Thunder Awaken a shoutout a day before the match because the former chose them to be their upcoming opponent.
As we approach the Playoffs in just hours from this article publishing, here’s a match breakdown of the eight exciting matches on Day 1 Playoffs at TI11.
The International 11 Playoffs Bracket
Evil Geniuses vs Thunder Awaken
EG got the long tail of the stick when picking out their upper bracket opponent. While EG will inevitably face PSG.LGD in the upper bracket eventually, having a quick and easy dropkick on a weaker opponent is always nice.
Despite the bad rep EG garnered for their stale drafts all season long, EG’s drafts have drastically changed. We would even go as far to say Kanishka ‘Sam’ “BuLba” Sosale, their coach, has decided to watch from the sidelines. Letting Tal “Fly” Aizik takes over the drafting work might just be EG’s saving grace at TI11. Execution-wise, EG is no stranger at performing their respective roles, which makes EG such a consistent team in group A.
While TA is by no means a weak team, the odds are still against the South American team. It has always been the case, and even more overwhelming when their opponent is EG.
Team Secret vs PSG.LGD
Team Secret has proven themselves to be a top-tier team at TI11 after their underdog run from TI11 Last Chance Qualifier. Although Secret continued to prove their worth in group B, facing PSG.LGD this early into the Playoffs is still a challenge.
PSG.LGD should have no issue snatching the series off Team Secret, considering they are the proclaimed strongest team from China. With the occasional hiccups in group stage, LGD is still a go-to pick for most TI11 betting slips.
Hokori vs beastcoast
Down in the lower bracket, the showdown between two South American teams will take place. Beastcoast, being the more seasoned team from the region, will surely be a favorite. However, for Hokori to survive the TI11 group stage comfortably is still a massive accomplishment, especially since this is their first TI debut.
While most fans are already impressed of Hokori’s performance, beating their regional rival will surely be icing on top of the cake. Well, it’s quite even as far as odds go, so Hokori might actually pull it off.
Team Spirit vs BOOM Esports
The TI11 lower bracket is looking spicy as the defending champion, Team Spirit, competes for tournament life. It’s certainly not in favor of BOOM, which barely advanced to the playoffs after beating Soniqs and BetBoom in a tiebreaker.
While there’s no doubt that Spirit is much superior in this match-up, BOOM’s last match showed that they do have several tricks up their sleeves. When push comes to shove, and elimination is at stake, BOOM certainly knows how to play the strong drafts and absolute dominance over their opponent.
Fnatic vs Gaimin Gladiators
Fnatic turns out to be the better team among its Southeast Asian brethren at TI11, especially BOOM. While Fnatic is also in the lower bracket, Fnatic has showcased incredible synergy in their team fights and response to opponent movements.
Couple that with Fnatic’s x-factor of nasty team fight combos, and Fnatic might just pull off a potential victory over Gaimin. On the contrary, Gaimin has been underwhelming as the latest staple from Western Europe region. They either tie or lost most series in Group A, except Soniqs and BetBoom, both eliminated in groups.
Gaimin’s drafts have been relatively generic, meta picks in the most recent update, such as Primal Beast, Pangolier, and Marci. However, these picks don’t make for a good draft synergy, which is hurting Gaimin’s performance.
Royal Never Give Up vs Entity
RNG has had a rough group stage going into TI11 since most of them got COVID19. This, of course, affected their performance, but they endured the tough situation regardless.
Entity, dubbed the unicorn from WEU region, has lost their momentum going into the groups. As such, RNG might just be the stronger opponent despite the handicap they are having. Expectations aside, both teams scored similarly badly in their respective group, so their odds aren’t too one-sided.
Yet again, another four teams will conclude their TI11 journey later today. However, until then, catch the International 11 Opening Ceremony, which is an iconic start to the International Championship.
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