Evil Geniuses runs over Alliance in DreamLeague Leipzig Major

Steven Rondina Published 25/01/2020

Evil Geniuses took a key win over Alliance in the DreamLeague Leipzig Major and with it, advanced to the lower bracket finals.

By reaching the top three, Evil Geniuses is guaranteed a minimum of 2,100 Dota Pro Circuit qualifying points towards the International, as well as $110,000. It also sets the team up with a rematch against Vici Gaming, who knocked EG into the lower bracket on Thursday.

Though Alliance has been a formidable team throughout the event, Evil Geniuses had little trouble besting them in their showdown.

Alliance got out to a strong start in game one, at least in terms of kills. Ganks and rotations were almost constant in the first 20 minutes and the Europeans were able to score kills with these maneuvers.

They weren’t able to get much farm, though. Artour “Arteezy” Babaev and Abed “Abed” Azel L. Yusop managed to enjoya strong gold income which allowed EG to maintain a net worth lead even as Alliance stood tall on the kill counter.

Though Alliance managed to narrow the gap at points, the core hero combination of Templar Assassin and Drow Ranger was able to put out enough damage that Evil Geniuses could play confidently. A successful team fight let EG break Alliance’s base and a quadruple kill from Arteezy set up the end of the game.

Alliance got some early licks in during game one. Game two didn’t have any such redeeming qualities.

The first team fight of game two broke out at the 12-minute mark, with Evil Geniuses taking a two-for-one trade and following it up with three-for-one. That swung the momentum into Evil Geniuses’ favor, and they never gave it back.

Almost every skirmish favored Evil Geniuses and they farmed efficiently on top of it. This made for a fairly quick game two victory to seal up the series for Evil Geniuses.

Evil Geniuses are decided underdogs in Vici Gaming rematch

Evil Geniuses looked very good against Alliance and has been solid throughout the event. Though the team stumbled early against Natus Vincere, it has recovered since and put together a very strong showing in the DreamLeague Leipzig Major. Though fans will undoubtedly hone in on Evil Geniuses’ “third-place curse,” the team looks like a bona fide elite despite a tumultuous offseason.

Fans of the brand ought to feel bullish about the team’s long-term prospects, but not necessarily about their chances against Vici Gaming in the lower bracket final.

Vici Gaming as a definitive favorite over Evil Geniuses. Vici Gaming has looked very good throughout the DreamLeague Leipzig Major and got the better of Evil Geniuses when they faced off in the upper bracket semifinals. Vici Gaming took a clear 2-0 victory there as Evil Geniuses looked a clear step behind the Chinese squad.

It’s possible Evil Geniuses identified their issues from that series and will be fresh in the rematch. Even so, there are few teams capable of keeping pace with Vici Gaming.

Steven Rondina

About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

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