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In the run up to Long Game The International 2023, top tier professional Dota 2 isn't going anywhere. Somewhere in the expanses of Serbia the main part of BB Dacha Team continues, where 8 teams are fighting for 6 slots in the play-offs.
The participants are divided into 2 groups of 4 teams each. Today we are talking about group B, where the second game day will take place.
Opening the new game day will be 9 Pandas and Nigma Galaxy. As before, the match will be played in bo2 format.
The match will be important, because both teams have started the tournament from the Minor note. Both 9 Pandas and Nigma Galaxy lost their opening matches and now they need to try even harder to qualify for the play-offs.
We try to figure out if either team can improve their position in Group B at BB Dacha and how the standings in the quartet will change after this bo2.
Let's go.
Form 9 Pandas
Let's open the match analysis with an analysis of 9 Pandas' form. In this match they will play the first number one.
Bookmakers are fully on the side of 9 Pandas. The odds for the victory of the Solo team are at around 2.
Such a figure is easy to explain, because 9 Pandas for the season showed a high quality game at most of the events where they were present. One lost bo2 series at BB Dacha does not take away from the Pandas' merit.
9 Pandas started the year in third place in DPC 2023: EEU Division 1 Tour 1. However, at the first international tournament of the year - The Lima Major 2023 - while still under the banners of HellRaisers, playing with stand-ip, they managed to get out of the group. \
In the second season of DPC, 9Pandas made it to the top 1, beating all direct competitors, namely Team Spirit and BB Team. In addition, 9Pandas surprised everyone at The Berlin Major 2023. In Germany, the Pandas made it to the Top 3, which was the best result for the region in a year.
The third DPC cycle of 9Pandas ended with qualification to the last Major of the season - The Bali Major 2023 - with a third-place finish in the home league. Next up was the DreamLeague S20
- 9Pandas roster: RAMZES, kiyotaka, MieRo, Antares, Solo .
All year long the team has been gaining in performance and this applies primarily to the international scene. At DreamLeague S20 it was top 7, and at Bali Major 2023 it was top 6.
Before BB Dacha 9 Pandas made their mark with a performance at the Riyadh Masters 2023. There, the team finished in the Top 6, Ledgeiv in a match to advance to the Talon Esports Top 4.
At BB Dacha 9, Pandas made their debut with a game against Gaimin Gladiators. The best team in the world proved to be a few goals above the Pandas and closed out the series in less than an hour.
Most popular 9 Pandas characters
The most piqued character of 9 Pandas is Skywrath Mage. He has appeared in the "pandas" games 6 times and has 3 wins.
He is followed by Bounty Hunter (4 matches, 50% wins), Tiny (3 matches, 66% wins), Bloodseeker (3 matches, 33% wins). Chen and Doom (2 matches each, 100% wins) and Enchantress (2 matches, 50% wins) are also glimpsed in the pool.
Nigma Galaxy Uniforms
We continue our breakdown of the series with a look at Nigma Galaxy's match performance. They are the clear contender for defeat here.
The bookies don't have much faith in Nigma Galaxy. The odds for their victory are somewhere in the region of 5.
And this is all thanks to the bo2 format. If it were in the group stage of bo3, Nigma Galaxy would be even further away and the gap would be much more critical than it is now.
In the 2023 season, as well as before it, Nigma Galaxy are experiencing huge difficulties in the competitive arena. In fact, the team has not made a mark in any of the tournaments and the performance leaves much to be desired.
The first round of DPC 2023 in Western Europe was one of the most successful tournaments of the year for Nigma. The team managed to maintain their place at the championship, finishing in the top 6 of the league.
However, in the next round Nigma Galaxy crashed with a bang. Kuro and company finished in last place at DPC 2023: WEU Division 1 Tour 2, thus relegated to the second division.
Despite the failure inside the home DPC Nigma Galaxy played at the DreamLeague Season 19 title tournament. Well how they played, more like attended. DL Season 19 ended with KuroKy's team finishing in the group stage with a top-14 finish.
The failures didn't end there, because next came the qualifiers for the Riyadh Masters 2023 in the MENA region. It would seem that an easy ride was guaranteed with the local competition, but it was not to be: Nigma Ledge beat Team Secret ME and took the top 3.
- Nigma Galaxy roster: Yuma, Mikey, MinD_ContRoL, GH, KuroKy .
After a series of failures Nigma significantly changed the roster by inviting young and promising players. This helped them to take the top 2 in the second division of the third round of DPC, thus resuming in the first league for the next season, if it happens at all.
Nigma Galaxy then won the online stage of BB Dacha, beating Level Up in the final and thus reaching the Main Event. However, it would have been more promising to play at The International 2023, where Nigma failed to qualify, losing the qualifiers and dropping out at the Top 11 stage.
Nigma Galaxy started BB Dacha with a game against Beastcoast. Being in the role of outsiders, the team played to a logical outcome: 0-2 in favour of the Peruvians, generally without much chance for Kuro and company.
The most popular heroes of Nigma Galaxy
Death Prophet and Rubick appeared most often in spades. Both characters have been picked up 4 times each and have 100% wins.
Disruptor, Beastmaster and Tusk have appeared a similar number of times. They have won 3 matches each out of 4 appearances.
History of head-to-head encounters
The teams have not previously played each other in the official sites. This match is a debut match for them.
Predicted result of the match 9 Pandas - Nigma Galaxy on BB Dacha
The level of the teams is very different now. It can be said that an S-tier team is playing against a TIR-1,5 stask, and such a comparison will not speak in favour of Nigma Galaxy.
The only thing that casts doubt on this match is the debut match of 9 Pandas. They looked too toothless against Gaimin Gladiators, but the Gladiators are still the best team in the world and therefore it is not shameful to lose 0-2 against them.
Bottom line: 9 Pandas wins.
