Day 1 of the group stage of the MSI 2022 has concluded with G2 Esports grabbing two consecutive wins over Evil Geniuses and ORDER. As many of us expected G2 to be the favorite of group C, North America could not promise so much against Europe for now. On the flip side, the Brazilian representative, RED Canids Kalunga, surprisingly defeated PSG Talon in their first group stage match. This win could change the course of group B in the coming days.
Here are the full results for Day 1 of the group stage:
- Saigon Buffalo 0 — 1 T1
- Evil Geniuses 0 — 1 G2 Esports
- DetonatioN FocusMe 1 — 0 Team Aze
- ORDER 0 — 1 G2 Esports
- Royal Never Give UP 1 — 0 fastPay Wildcats
- RED Canids Kalunga 1 — PSG Talon
The defending champion, Royal Never Give Up, did not let any surprise against fastPay Wildcats. Turkish fans expected FW’s opening match to be quite tough, given their opponent, RNG, was considered T1’s closest rival on the way to the championship in the MSI 2022.
RED Canids Kalunga made a good start to the group stage with an astonishing win against PSG Talon and gave the Brazilian community hope of qualifying for the rumbling stage. As of the first day, it has been proven that PSG Talon lost much since last year. Their specific game plan that threatened top-tier teams is not as strong as it was one year ago.
DFM beat Aze, Saigon Buffalo could not stand against T1
DetonatioN FocusMe opened up the group stage with a win over Team Aze. Although they lost Aria in the offseason, DFM is still one of the best Wild Card teams in the MSI 2022. The most anticipated match of the first day was the opening game, T1 versus Saigon Buffalo. After two years, a Vietnamese team joined the fray in an international tournament. Their first appearance was not desperate, and Saigon Buffalo knew they had to try something different to shock T1. They were unlikely to take down the Korean juggernaut by normal means. It looks like DFM vs. Saigon Buffalo matchups will be the decider two series in group A. On the other hand, T1 was exceptional as we remember them from their undefeated streak.
Day 2 of the group stage is set to begin with a Western League of Legends derby between G2 Esports and Evil Geniuses. Impact and his teammates will have to win the rematch to keep their hopes alive for first place. Istanbul Wildcats will want to take their first group win, but they have to overcome RED Canids today. On the flip side, DFM will face off against Saigon Buffalo in group A. This matchup will probably determine the second team that advances to the rumbling stage.
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