One of the most anticipated matches in the 2021 League of Legends World Championship play-in stage will be Cloud9 against DetonatioN FocusMe on the first day of the event.Â
Both teams have been placed in group B and are looking like two of the favorites to make a run into the main event. In general, group B is looking much closer than group A where Hanwha Life and LNG Esports are expected to dominate. It’s expected that C9 will do well, but that there will be chances for the other teams to pull off some upsets.Â
After winning the 2021 LCS Spring Split, C9 already knows what it takes to go all the way and beat some great teams. In the summer split, C9 fell short to 100 Thieves and missed the final. The team still made it to Worlds once again but will have to go through the play-in stage where a lot of pressure will be on the star-studded roster to perform.Â
With mid laner Luka “Perkz” Perković leading the charge and potentially paving the way for C9 to return to international success, many would expect the team to beat DetonatioN FocusMe. If C9 manages to prepare well enough for the Worlds meta, there could be a lot of action in all of C9’s games with Perkz and jungler Robert “Blaber” Huang playing confidently right from the first minutes.Â
This will be something that DetonatioN FocusMe will have to prove they can withstand, to avoid getting run over by a squad that is stronger on paper. DetonatioN FocusMe won’t be entering this match or tournament with a lot of pressure. This will enable the players to play in a more lax way and look for upsets, as seen in previous play-in stages.Â
DetonatioN FocusMe dominated the Japanese LJL this year, winning both splits without much trouble. The team also had a solid showing at the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational where it even managed to take down C9 in one game. Now that the rematch is on, C9 will probably know better what to expect while DetonatioN FocusMe is also aware of how to beat the North American roster. Â
All in all, this could be a bloody game if both teams show up to play with a lot of confidence. Since it’s the first match of the tournament for both sides, the two teams will be looking to prove what they are capable of. In a scenario like this, anything can happen, but it’s expected that C9 comes out on top.Â
Cloud9 roster:Â
DetonatioN FocusMe roster:Â
With a lot of clear advantages for C9 in this matchup, this is a game the North American squad has to win. Not only to get off to a good start but also to prove that the LCS has what it takes this year. DetonatioN FocusMe is still a solid roster, so C9 can’t underestimate the opponents. As seen several times this season, C9 has lost games to teams that they theoretically shouldn’t. If this happens against DetonatioN FocusMe, the C9 squad could take a hit on the confidence early on in the tournament. But if C9 plays up to its standards, this should be a clear win for Perkz and the rest of C9.Â
As the clear favorite, a win for C9 in this match gives odds of 1.41 while DetonatioN FocusMe has much higher odds at 2.68. The numbers clearly indicate who the favorite is, but the play-in stage at Worlds is known to come with surprises.Â
The match between Cloud9 and DetonatioN FocusMe takes place on Tuesday, October 5.Â
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