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The LCS Summer 2023 playoffs are underway. At stake is $200,000, three straight trips to Worlds 2023, and a spot on the Wildcard Qualifier, where the top 4 teams of the summer split will battle it out with their European counterparts for another spot on the main tournament of the year.
Six teams remain in contention for all of the above prizes at LCS Summer 2023. NRG and Golden Guardians are among them.
The winner of the series goes to the final of the upper grid and automatically guarantees a place at Worlds 2023. The loser falls to the lower grid, where he will make his way to the Top 4.
Let's see who goes where. Let's go.
Golden Guardians uniforms
We start the match analysis by analysing the Golden Guardians' form. In this match they are the favourites.
Bookmakers certainly believe in the success of the Golden Guardians. The odds betting on League of Legends for their victory are estimated at 1.4.
Such a figure does not raise any questions at all. Golden Guardians have stormed to the top of the LCS and it seems that they are not ready to come down from there.
Throughout the club's existence, Golden Guardians have been "middling" at best. They were ranked around the top 6, but a quality boost happened last season.
Quite unexpectedly for everyone, and I think for themselves, GG took the top 2 in the league. This guaranteed them passage to the first international event in the club's history - Mid-Season Invitational 2023. There were no sensations there, but the Guardians got their Top 8.
- Golden Guardians lineup: Licorice, River, Gori, Stixxay, huhi, Array .
After a successful spring split, Golden Guardians did not change their lineup, which is not surprising. Neither did the results.
Golden Guardians played the group stage very confidently, easily making it to the play-offs. They shared the group stage championship with Cloud9, finishing with a score of 13-5.
Thanks to their performance in the group, they started the main stage right from the second round. NRG is their first opponent.
Golden Guardians' most popular champions
Gwen (3 matches, 100% wins), Fiora (3 matches, 66% wins) are favoured on the top line.
In the forest, Wukong (5 games, 80% wins), Sejuani (3 matches, 100% wins), Nautilus (2 matches, 0% wins), Kindred (2 matches, 100% wins) are most often played with.
KSante (4 matches, 75% win rate) appears on the centre line, as well as Azir (4 matches, 75% wins), Yone (2 matches, 50% wins), LeBlanc (2 matches, 100% wins).
Aphelios (7 matches, 100% wins), Zeri (4 games, 50% wins), Lucian (2 matches, 0% wins), Varus (2 matches, 100% wins) are the most frequent shooters.
Of the supporting champions, Rell (3 matches, 100% wins), Nami (2 matches, 0% wins), Leona (2 matches, 0% wins).
NRG uniforms
We continue to look at the match for the top 3 by analysing NRG's match performance. In this match they play in the outsider status.
This is indicated by the bookmakers. The odds for their victory in this match are at around 2.8.
The double advantage of Golden Guardians is due to their "status". They have earned good treatment in recent seasons, while NRG are yet to earn a name for themselves.
NRG is an absolute newcomer to the LCS. This is despite the fact that they appeared on the North American professional League of Legends scene back in 2016. Back then, the club finished Top 6 at the Spring Split and Top 9 at the Summer Split. Since then, NRG fell into oblivion and stayed there until 2023.
They managed to return to the LCS after taking over the CLG slot. It's working out kind of well.
At their essentially first split, NRG made it to the top set of play-offs. They won the group stage 9-9, which looks pretty good overall.
- NRG lineup: Dhokla, Contractz, Palofox, FBI, IgNar .
Having taken over the CLG slot, NRG signed former Counter Logic Gaming players. After some minor roster manipulation, FBI and IgNar, formerly of Evil Geniuses and Dignitas, joined the team. So, the club is kind of new, but in essence, it's just a modified CLG, with a slightly more pleasing performance.
The LCS "newcomers" played their first play-offs match against Team Liquid. The game against a nominally stronger opponent ended in NRG's favour with a score of 3-1.
The most popular NRG champions
The most popular champion on the top line is Gnar (10 games, 90% win rate). Jayce appeared 8 times and the winrate was 87%. Kenen was played 4 times and won all matches, KSante 4 times and 3 wins, Renekton 4 times and 2 wins.
In the forest were Vi (11 matches, 72% wins), Sejuani (10 games, 80% wins), Wukong (7 matches, 85% wins), Le Sin (6 games, 83% wins).
On the centre line it was Azir (13 games, 69% wins), Gragas (6 matches, 100% wins), Kassadin (5 games, 100% wins), Viktor (4 matches, 75% wins).
The most popular ADC is Lucian (12 matches, 83% wins). Next are Varus (8 games, 87% wins), Caitlyn (5 games, 100% wins), Zeri (4 matches, 75% wins).
Nami (13 matches, 84% winrate). Ashe and Lux have 4 games and 4 wins each.
History of head-to-head meetings NRG - Golden Guardians
NRG won twice in the group stage of LCS Summer 2023.
Predicted result of the match NRG - Golden Guardians
The history of head-to-head encounters hints at a possible sensation, but I wouldn't trust it completely. Still, bo1 is bo1, so unforeseen results happen and the show goes on.
In the play-offs, with a bo5 match, NRG has much less of a chance. Golden Guardians are more played, and previously battle-hardened on the international stage, so they will close out the series.
Bottom line: Golden Guardians win with a score of 3-1.
