With both teams one win away from the Knockout stage, it will be a crucial series for T1 and BLG, as they clash in Worlds Swiss Stage Round 4. Who will advance? Let’s find out in our match preview.
Photo Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
Worlds 2023 Swiss Stage – T1 vs BLG – October 28, 12:00 CET
T1 and BLG will be facing off once again after their first showdown back at MSI in May. Both teams have gone through a lot during the summer split and the squads are probably going to be quite different from their first encounter.
The Korean team dropped against Gen.G in Round 2 of Swiss but prevailed over C9 and TL. BLG, instead, won against KT and FNC but lost to their archnemesis JDG. Based on the performances so far, it looks like both teams are still a tier below the super teams that have already qualified for the next stage. With that in mind, let’s break down the match and the key factors that will swing the momentum on one or the other’s side.
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The clash among gods in the top lane
Even though all members will be under the spotlight during the series, the top lane matchup is probably going to steal the show. Bin and Zeus will meet once again to prove who is the better top lane player.
Zeus has been picking up strong carries up in the top lane, with games on Jayce, Aatrox, and Rumble. This is going back to what the Korean player was famous for last year when he dominated the second part of the LCK Summer Split. He will be the key side lane pressure point from T1.
Bin, conversely, has been sacrificing himself a bit more, giving his mid and bot lane have been getting the attention and resources. While we do know Bin can play the hard carries, it’s important to understand whether BLG will take that approach against T1 or stick to what worked so far. The direction of this matchup will be key since it’s bound to impact the rest of the map.
Based on what we saw so far, BLG looks a bit favored so far. They have been more consistent than T1 and I think their identity with Yagao and Elk as the two carries will help them out in the Bo3 series.
Side selection and drafts will play a major role, however, so it will also depend on how the two teams have prepared their picks going into this matchup. I can definitely see a T1 victory with a 2-1 record, but they would need to have everything aligned perfectly and super performances from some of their players.
Prediction: T1 1 – 2 BLG
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