In the European division, another high-profile confrontation. The face-to-face meeting will be held by TOP clubs: Nigma Galaxy and Team Liquid.
Teams with big names, but radically different results during the season. And the teams play, to put it mildly, at different levels.
Liquid are coming to this match on the first line of the standings. The team looks super strong with 4 wins and 0 wins.
In Nigma Galaxy, the situation is completely opposite. The team has 3 defeats in 3 matches behind them and is in danger of falling back into the lower division.
We figure out what to expect from the match, or rather, whether Nigma will be able to take at least a card from the formidable Liquid.
Form Team Liquid
Having presented Liquid above as a strong team, it is worth starting the analysis of the fight with an analysis of their game form. They will approach the fight as the absolute favorite.
The bookmaker does not doubt the success of “liquid” one iota. The coefficient for the victory of Team Liquid is 1.09.
The figure actually puts an end to any attempts by Nigma Galaxy to impose a fight here. However, this is not the fault of the bookmakers, Liquid deserved such an attitude towards themselves by deeds and victories.
Team Liquid roster
Deserved thanks to a working roster. A line-up that showed good results last year as well, but now, judging by the first games, it will take new heights.
- miCKe
- Nisha
- zai
- Boxi
- iNSaNiA
Once again, I will not praise the players. We have already managed to make sure that on a personal level they have no equal in terms of game this season, and it is unlikely that there will be such.
Team Liquid Performance
Team Liquid was stormy last competitive season, which is not surprising. At the start of the year, the team made a large-scale reshuffle, not only updating the roster, but also changing the positions of players in some roles.
If in Western Europe the glory of the “kings of online” was fixed for Liquid, then on LANs their game drove them into sadness. The team entered the TOP-12 of the major twice, which did not allow them to get directly to The International.
Fortunately for Liquid, the qualifiers for the main event of the year were held online, where the current Liquid felt at ease.
The Last Chance Qualifier was held directly in Singapore, which, however, did not prevent the team from taking the TOP-2 there and getting to The International.
At The International 2022, the team held almost a “miracle run”. “Liquid” reached the TOP-3, although there were no prerequisites for this.
After a targeted replacement of a player in the autumn off-season, Liquid started the DPC 2023 with a confident victory over their principal rival. In the first match, the liquid ones beat Team Secret with a score of 2-0.
Liquid's next opponent was Tundra. What was supposed to be the toughest test for the Liquids turned out to be a game of medium tension: Liquid outplayed Tundra 2-0, thus outplaying perhaps the main competitor in a face-to-face confrontation.
Heroes Team Liquid
In their picks, Liquid focuses on Death Prophet (4 matches, 75% wins), Mars (4 matches, 50% wins), Slark (3 matches, 66% wins), Vengeful Spirit (3 matches, 66% wins), Marci and Pudge (3 matches, 66% of wins).
Shape Nigma Galaxy
Liquid will face Nigma Galaxy on the way to their 5th victory. They will have to do this in the status of an underdog.
The chance of Nigma winning is negligible. The bookmaker evaluates such an event with odds around 6.
There is nothing frank in such a pre-match disposition of forces. Nigma play disgustingly in the new season, and even more so against the background of “liquid” ones.
Composition of Nigma Galaxy
The situation with Nigma Galaxy has not changed since last year at least: they still fly away from almost all teams, even teams with a lower rank. And the global understanding of the game has not changed yet.
Nigma Players
- SumaiL
- ATF
- MinD_ControlRoL
- GH
- KuroKy
There were some glimmers of hope with the arrival of ATF to the carry position. They turned out to be false, and the young genius did nothing to help the established Nigma Galaxy roster, or maybe vice versa, exacerbated stagnation.
Performance of Nigma Galaxy
Nigma Galaxy started last year in the TOP-6 at DPC WEU 2021/2022 Tour 1: Division 1, which briefly separated them from relegation to the second division. The actual relegation came a season later when Nigma took last place at DPC WEU 2021/2022 Tour 2: Division 1.
Once in the second league, the stellar team nevertheless easily took the first line and regained their place in the elite division for the 2023 season. In addition, the team played Riyadh Masters 2022 and ESL One Malaysia 2022, where they took the TOP 6 in the first and the second TOP -8.
The last tournament before the BetBoom Xmas Show and the replacement of the roster was the qualifier for The International 2022 from Western Europe. There, the team took the TOP-6, missing out on the second in a row of The International.
After changing the roster, the team took part in the local BB Xmas Show event. Having received a direct invite to the playoffs, KuroKy and the company fell face down in the dirt: Nigma lost two series out of two played and left the tournament at the TOP-8 stage.
In the first match of DPC 2023, Nigma played against Tundra Esports. As I said above, it turned out, surprisingly, not bad: Nigma, thanks to the pick from Huskar and Lina, took one card, already something.
Then “those same Nigmas” turned on. In a match against ITB, seemingly the most passable member of the league, KuroKy and company collapsed, losing 0-2, thus effectively putting an end to their continued participation in the first league.
Then there were Gaimin Gladiators, who also turned out to be stronger than Nigma Galaxy in the match. GG beat Nigma 2-1.
Heroes of Nigma Galaxy
The most common picks were Io (6 matches, 66% wins), Death Prophet (5 matches, 60% wins), Chen (5 matches, 60% wins), Dawnbreaker (4 matches, 75% wins), Earth Spirit (4 matches, 75% of wins).
After trying to create greenhouse conditions for ATF by picking his favorite Mars and Slardar, Nigma tried to play with conventional carries. There was a tryout by Sven, which brought victory on the map against GG.
History of personal confrontations
Previously, the teams did not play each other in the new season. This fight will be the debut face-to-face confrontation between the clubs.
Match outcome
No matter how paradoxical it may sound, but Nigma this season is still a threat. The team managed to squeeze Tundra and Gaimin Gladiators on the map, which already gives at least a modicum of hope.
Another thing, Team Liquid. In the match against “Liquid”, I don’t expect Nigma Galaxy to jump above their heads, since the fight is fundamental for Liquid: in case of victory, they guarantee themselves a place at Lima Major 2023. They will get a victory, and an easy one.
Result: 2-0 in favor of Team Liquid.
