win.gg
Win.gg Dota 2 Liquid posts stunning comeback over VP at DreamLeague Season 13

Liquid posts stunning comeback over VP at DreamLeague Season 13

Steven Rondina
Steven Rondina Published 21/01/2020
Google Preferred Source

Team Liquid is still alive in the DreamLeague Leipzig Major, but just barely.

The European squad threw away an enormous gold lead against Virtus.pro and saw their ancient whittled down, only to muster up a miraculous play to steal the game back. The win pushes Liquid further into the tournament and hands Virtus.pro a last-place finish.

The game saw a number of momentum swings in the laning stage. Alexey “Solo” Berezin viciously harassed Liquid with his Enchantress, battering them with Impetus and forcing them to frequently roam top to head off Egor “epileptick1d” Grigorenko’s Lifestealer. Though this resulted in a bloodbath in the top lane, Liquid successfully held back epileptick1d, which set them up to take over the mid game.

Liquid slowly built up a net worth lead, which prompted VP to group and try and turn the tides. That failed, which accelerated Liquid’s growing advantage.

The trouble was that Liquid couldn’t close out the game. Tens of minutes passed and while VP struggled to leave their base throughout, Liquid couldn’t break high ground. For a long while, Liquid was just content in building up its lead, but frustration grew with time.

At the 70-minute mark and with a 60,000 net worth lead, Liquid decided to go all in. After scoring a kill, Liquid pushed into the top lane and started a team fight. VP held TL back, which prompted Liquid to buy back on both Michael “miCKe” Vu and Max “qojqva” Bröcker. That went very poorly as both heroes were melted by Roman “Resolut1on” Fominok’s Underlord that was hugely empowered by Atrophy Aura.

Liquid was down to just Samuel “Boxi” Svahn’s Slardar and Tommy “Taiga” Le’s Dark Willow against all five players on VP. Those are overwhelming odds, but the pair mustered up just enough lockdown and damage to save their ancient and force out a stunning GG call.

The wild back-and-forth will likely go down as one of the most exciting Dota 2 moments of 2020, and prompted an outpouring of emotion from the Team Liquid squad.

Liquid vs. VP at DreamLeague Leipzig Major carries big ramifications

The victory is a huge one for Team Liquid. Liquid wasn’t in a bad spot entering the tournament, but their poor performance at ONE Esports Dota 2 World Pro Invitational Singapore cast doubt on their capabilities.

Following that up with a last-place performance at DreamLeague Season 13 would have been a devastating blow for the team. Though the team still has a rocky road ahead of it, this win should serve to both boost morale for the team and inspire confidence among Liquid’s fans.

As for Virtus.pro, the organization’s reboot of its roster continues to be a questionable decision. Though the Russian team was one of 2019’s best, a flop at The International 2019 prompted the organization to largely disband its enduring squad.

While VP is clearly focused on winning championships, the new lineup has underwhelmed at each step so far. They could still turn things around with time, but patience isn’t especially common in pro Dota 2.

Steven Rondina 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.

View full profile
Read Also
Team Yandex stop the magic, defeating LGD in BLAST Slam VII finals Dota 2
Team Yandex stop the magic, defeating LGD in BLAST Slam VII finals Michael Hassall Team Yandex have defeated LGD Gaming in the grand finals of BLAST Slam VII in a dramatic 3-1 series that saw both teams pushed to the limit, but ultimately Yandex come out on top. Concluding the last major tournament before teams head to the Esports World Cup and The International 2026 next month and in August, Yandex were able to counter the momentum of LGD that had brought them into ...
BLAST Slam VII Finals Predictions and Picks – Can LGD make it all the way? Dota 2
BLAST Slam VII Finals Predictions and Picks – Can LGD make it all the way? Michael Hassall LGD Gaming in the top three of a tournament!? What is this 2021? BLAST Slam VII has been one of the most surprising tournaments of the year, and has capped off the pre-EWC and TI season with some of the most thrilling gameplay we’ve seen in months. And the finals are set to be even more exciting. With just three teams left there’s a lot on the line, from the ...
Easiest Dota 2 Heroes for Beginners – Best Picks to Learn the Game Dota 2
Easiest Dota 2 Heroes for Beginners – Best Picks to Learn the Game Simon Day We can all agree that Dota 2 is a complex game, but starting with the right heroes can make the learning process much smoother. Choosing one of the best Dota 2 heroes for beginners is key to building your skills and enjoying your matches. That’s why it’s time to explore the heroes that are easy to understand, effective in the game and great for learning the fundamentals. Without going into ...
BLAST Slam VII Playoffs Preview – Visa issues transform the playoff picture Dota 2
BLAST Slam VII Playoffs Preview – Visa issues transform the playoff picture Michael Hassall BLAST Slam VII is the last major tournament before teams lock-in and compete at the EWC and The International, and as a result, we’re seeing a tournament with some unique outcomes. With teams seemingly treating this as a last-minute tune-up before the championship clashes of the next two months, a South American team has topped the table and some of the best teams in the world are either without players ...
TI-Champions Tundra Esports exit Dota 2 as roster transfers to 1win Dota 2
TI-Champions Tundra Esports exit Dota 2 as roster transfers to 1win Michael Hassall Tundra Esports has revealed it’s leaving Dota 2 after six years and a victory at The International 2022. The UK-based organization has announced its roster will transfer directly to 1win for future events. The announcement, posted on Tundra's socials on June 1, confirms rumors and earlier social posts from 1win which hinted at a new lineup. With the move, however, questions about 1win’s existing EEU roster and attendance at The ...
A full weekend of TI15 tickets will cost you just $280 – If you don’t mind the view Dota 2
A full weekend of TI15 tickets will cost you just $280 – If you don’t mind the view Michael Hassall Alongside the team invites for The International 2026, Valve today (May 26) unveiled the pricing and details of how to purchase tickets for TI15, and the price is the lowest in years. For years we’ve seen the price of The International Prize, with a peak of around $700 as a lowest price for a full weekend for both 2023 in Seattle, and 2024 in Copenhagen. But after a fall in ...
Valve has announced the TI15 invites: Here’s why some team names are very different Dota 2
Valve has announced the TI15 invites: Here’s why some team names are very different Michael Hassall It’s around three months until The International 2026, TI15, and Valve has just unveiled the direct invites and qualifier invites to the event, but eagle-eyed fans will notice some strange names in the team lists. Valve unveiled the invites in the small hours of the morning on May 26 (late evening on May 25 for their HQ in Bellevue, Washington), detailing the seven direct invites, regional qualifier invites, and some ...