With day two now concluded, we are down to the final ten teams remaining. Sadly, both Team Serenity and Mineski had to leave the tournament today, their championship dreams now over. On day 3, two more teams will be leaving us in the Lower Bracket, and we will also find out which two teams will end the day guaranteed a spot in the top three.
Related: Here’s What You Need to Know About The International 2018!
Which one of these Upper Bracket contenders will be promised a spot in the top three?
[divider]Team Liquid v.s. PSG.LGD[/divider]
Two phenomenal juggernauts, both Liquid and PSG.LGD dispatched their opponents with ease in the first day’s matchup. Both Liquid.Miracle- and LGD.Somnus played like demons, slaughtering anybody that was standing in their way. LGD’s dominance might come as a surprise to some, me included, but they seized their chance at dismantling a off-form VP, guaranteeting Top 6 for themselves.
This matchup could very well be the finals of The International 8. Judging from Liquid’s form, and LGD’s relatively fortuitous wins, I still feel that the matchup goes towards Liquid. Hopefully for all fans of DOTA, this series goes all the way to three games, leaving Liquid the victor in a 2-1.
Related: The Teams to Watch This TI!
[divider]OG v.s. EG[/divider]
OG managed to pull off an upset, putting VGJ.Storm to the sword two games to none. Great performances from their ace, ana, gives hope to fans that OG is a team that can compete with the best. A team that relies heavily on comfort picks, one can only hope that they will have more strategies in their pocket after their heroes are inevitably banned out.
EG burned bright in their series against Secret, with their individual skill shining through. The laning stage went marvelously both games, with rtz, SumaiL, and s4 taking turns to own their opponents. All tidings bide well for EG, and they will look to exhibit their flair once again in the upper bracket.
A grudge match between the two, EG has only recently acquired two players from the OG squad. The retooled OG squad have performed so far, but they are likely to fall victim to EG’s rampage through the tournament. 2-0 to EG.