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The breakdown of what's happening at the IEM Cologne 2024 Play-In continues. The first round will feature 16 teams, which will determine the 8 participants in the group stage.
Liquid and paiN Gaming are both in contention to advance to the next stage. The teams will open IEM Cologne 2024 with a face-to-face Bo3 match.
We are trying to figure out which team will be stronger in the match Liquid - paiN Gaming and will pass to the next round of the upper Play-In grid, and who will have to continue the fight in the lower Play-In grid.
Let's go.
Team Liquid uniforms
We open the breakdown of the match paiN Gaming - Liquid with an analysis of Liquid's form. In this match they are playing as favourites with odds to win at around 1.5.
The American club had a pretty productive 2023 season. Played in a lot of tournaments, but high results were a rarity.
They started the year with a top-4 finish at IEM Katowice 2023, where they reached the top 4. Next was the equally good BLAST Premier: Spring American Showdown with a similar top-4, and then BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023: American RMR followed by a top-3 and a trip to the main tournament of the year.
Unfortunately for Liquid, that's where their results ended. At BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023, the team made it to the top 8 and that was their biggest achievement of the year.
After making it to the legends stage at the only Major tournament of the season, Liquid played at a lot of big events. These included IEM Dallas 2023 with a top-12 finish, BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2023 with a top-9 finish, and IEM Master Cologne with a top-12 finish.
At the end of the season they played at Gamers8 2023, finishing in the top 16 and ESL Pro League Season 18, finishing in the top 20. Closed the year with a second place finish at BLAST Premier: Fall American Showdown 2023.
- Team Liquid roster: NAF, YEKINDAR, jks, ultimate, Twistzz.
A string of failures at major championships has caused major roster changes. Such that Liquid in 2024 can be called "Dream Team", but the status still has to be earned.
2024 began with qualifiers for the American RMR. They came out, which is not surprising. They also tried to qualify for IEM Chengdu 2024, but it was not successful: in the final of the qualifiers Ledge and M80.
Liquid took TOP-8 at BLAST Premier: Spring Groups 2024, and then passed at IEM Dallas 2024, did not pass at PGL Copenhagen Major 2024, taking TOP-8 at home, and then TOP-16 at BLAST Premier: Spring Showdown 2024 and TOP-6 at IEM Masters and TOP-6 Chengdu 2024. They also played at ESL Pro League Season 19, where they finished Top-8.
IEM Dallas 2024 Liquid started with a victory over CoL, but then - a completely unexpected defeat by 9z Team in the match for the play-offs. As a result, IEM Dallas 2024 Liquid finished in the top 9-12, failing to qualify for the play-offs. Before the Long Cologne 2024 IEM Cologne, Liquid will play at BLAST Premier: Fall Spring, where they will play in the same group as BIG, NaVi and Vp.
Team Liquid Mappool
Team Liquid's top 1 map in the last 3 months is Mirage. Liquid has a mind-blowing winrate of 92% with 13 games played.
They also played on Inferno, where they won 5 matches out of 7 games. Nuke is also in plus winrate, where the "ninjas" have 3 wins from 5 matches.
The most not favoured map for Team Liquid will be Vertigo. There they have 6 maps and only 1 win.
Form paiN Gaming
We continue the match analysis with the analysis of paiN Gaming's form. In this match they are playing as number two with odds to win around 2.2.
The paiN Gaming club has played a lot of tournaments in 2024, among which there were results. However, no special results were achieved.
By far the most significant was PGL Major Copenhagen 2024, where paiN managed to show character and a good game. They were just enough for the top 9-11, but even that is a good result.
Where paiN shine is on the home stage. The club has essentially dominated the Latin American scene, consistently winning B-tier tournaments. Such was the case at RES Latin American Series #4, Global Esports Tour Rio de Janeiro 2024, where they earned $100,000 for the win.
- Thelineup of paiN Gaming: biguzera, lux, kauez, nqz, snow.
Landmark results include a pass at IEM Cologne 2024. Passed through home qualifications.
Map paiN Gaming
Top 1 map paiN gaming in the last 3 months is Mirage. L4O has a mind-blowing winrate of 92% with 13 games played.
They also played on Inferno, where they won 5 matches out of 7 games. In plus winrate and Nuke, where with 5 matches and 3 wins.
The most not favoured card for paiN gaming will be Vertigo. There they have 6 cards and only 1 win.
History of head-to-head meetings Liquid - paiN Gaming
The last time the teams played each other back in the distant 2023.
Predicted result of paiN Gaming vs Liquid at IEM Cologne 2024 Play-In
In this match I expect an even game. Liquid, in my opinion, is not a team that can easily shut down teams of paiN's level. I expect a fight from the Brazilians and I will bet on a card from them.
Bottom line: +1.5 on paiN.
