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We continue to follow the action at LCK Cup 2025. The play-offs stage is unfolding at the titular professional tournament that sets the tone for the entire stage.
We are at the stage of the second round of the main stage. This means that there are 4 teams left in the fight for the LCK Cup 2025 title and a ticket to the First Stand Tournament 2025, including Dplus KIA and Nongshim RedForce. They will play each other in a second round match, where the winner of the match will advance to the final of the top grid.
We are trying to find out how the match DPlus KIA - Nongshim RedForce will end and who will be in the top 3 of the tournament.
Let's go.
Dplus Form
We open the analysis of the match Dplus KIA - Nongshim RedForce with an analysis of the DPlus form. In this match they play as favourites with odds to win at around 1.2.
In the season before last, Dplus were still DAMWON, but it does not change the essence of the matter. Back then, Korea's top team finished top 3 at LCK Spring 2022 and top 4 at LCK Summer 2022.
Thanks to a win at LCK Regional Finals 2022, the team went to Worls 2022. The World Championships ended with a play-offs loss in a colourful match against Gen.G with a score of 2-3.
After rebranding, Dplus put together a new roster. There was an attempt to make some sort of "super" team, but that story doesn't work too well in LCK.
- Dplus roster: Siwoo, Lucid, ShowMaker, Aiming, BeryL.
Reigning World Champion Deft didn't help Dplus much at the first tournament after the rebranding. At LCK Spring 2023, Dplus finished in the top 5, which is not good.
At LCK Summer 2023, Dplus made it to the play-offs in 4th place, 11-7. That's better than T1.
However, LCK Summer 2023 Dplus KIA did not stay in the play-offs for long. In the first round of LCK Summer 2023 Playoffs Dplus Ledge and T1 with the score 1-3, early leaving the main stage of the prestigious championship.
The team made it to Worlds 2023 thanks to a second place finish at the South Korean regional finals. To do so, they first outplayed DRX (3-0) and then HLE (3-1).
Dplus opened up Worlds 2023 with a match against G2 Esports. The titular Koreans were weaker than the best team in Europe and went into the set 0-1.
There, Dplus played their fellow countrymen from KT Rolster. And again Worlds 2022 champion Deft and their distinguished colleagues lost: now Dplus had 0-2.
After falling into the relegation zone, Dplus finally got their act together and showed their game. They knocked BDS out of the tournament and now continue the arduous march to the play-offs. They later outplayed GAM Esports and came out on top 2-2, but in the final match Ledge or KT Rolster, thus forfeiting a chance at the play-offs.
After a slightly dismal Worlds 2024, DPlus KIA took the top 5, closing out the LCK Spring 2024 regular season with a score of 9-9.
In the first play-offs match, DPlus pulled off a mini-sensation. They defeated their more title contender KT Rolster in a very difficult bo5. Next was a match against Gen.G, which Dplus almost won, but still fell short on the fifth map and as a result lost 2-3. Dplus KIA finished in the top 4, which is pretty good.
In the LCK Summer 2024 play-offs DPlus KIA were quite confident, having played the main season with a score of 13-5. In their debut match at the LCK Summer 2024 Playoffs, they defeated FearX 3-1. However, defeating Gen.G in the next match was an all-star task, and it proved impossible for DPlus KIA. Next up was a loss to T1 and a final top 4 finish.
After a not so successful LCK Summer 2024, DPlus KIA played at LCK Regional Finals 2024, where they made it to Worlds 2024 on their first attempt, beating T1.
They started off Worlds 2024 with a solid win over Fnatic. Next, an equally confident win against FlyQuest and a 2-0 basket. The team played against LNG Esports for the championship play-offs, where they lost 0-2 without much chance. And then, the most The International interesting and offensive for DPlus KIA - matches against TES and Weibo, where DPlus lost and the final Top 11 at Worlds 2024.
In the 2025 season, the Long Team competed in LCK Cup 2025, in the so-called Elder Group, where Dplus confidently defeated all opponents, making the score 5-0 and advancing straight to the semi-finals of LCK Cup 2025
The most popular DPlus champions
On the top line the team chooses KSante (4 matches, 50% wins), Renekton (3 games, 33% wins), Gnar (3 matches, 66% wins).
In the forest all the same, more or less standard: VI (7 games, 57% wins), Maokai (3 games, 66% wins), Poppy and Sejuani 2 matches and 0 wins each.
On the centre line with no deviations. There are Azir (4 matches, 50% wins), Ryze (4 games, 50% wins), Syndra (2 games, 50% wins), Cassiopeia (2 matches, 50% wins).
The championship among shooters is held by Lucian. Champion appeared 5 times, but won only 2 matches. Tried to Zeri, but failed: 0-3 in three appearances.
Among the supporting champions, Nami was a success. She was picked up 5 times, and her winrate was 40%. Yummi (3 games, 0% wins) and Ashe (3 games, 66% wins) were also picked.
Nongshim RedForce uniforms
We continue our analysis of the match Nongshim RedFocre - DPlus KIA with an analysis of Nongshim RedForce's form. In this match they are playing as the number two with odds to win at around 4.
Nongshim Red Force is a team with no stars from heaven. It is a solid mid-tier team in Korea, or rather one of the worst teams in the best region.
In the arena LCK Nongshim RedForce have been in the LCK Nongshim arena since 2021. It also became the best in the not yet long history of this particular tag: at that time Nongshim RedForce managed to take Top 6 at LCK Spring 2021 and Top 4 at LCK Summer 2021, and there was also Top 3 at Regional Finals, but it was not enough to pass to Worlds.
Things started to get worse in 2022. Nongshim RedForce finished top-8 at both LCK Spring 2022 and LCK Summer 2022.
In the 13 competition season, Nongshim RedForce can be called the worst team in the region. At LCK Spring 2023 the team took the last, 10th place, and at LCK Summer 2023 they were not far away - TOP-9.
- Nongshim RedForce roster: Kingen, Sylvie, Fisher, Jiwoo, Lehends.
The only member of Nongshim RedForce from last season is Jiwoo. The remaining 4 players are new to the team.
Nongshim RedForce will play against DRX in the first match. In that match I expect Nongshim RedForce to win. Next will be a game against Gen.G, where RedForce has no chance not only to win, but to take at least a map.
At LCK Spring 2024 Nongshim RedForce were ranked in the top 8. The LCK 2024 summer split was no better than the spring one: the final top 8 and the change of the roster in the off-season.
The 2025 season, like most title teams in the region, started with an appearance at LCK Cup 2025. They played in the Elder Group, where they finished in last place, but made it to the Play-In. At the Play-In Long Sogpeg started with a win over BRION, lost to T1 in the next round, but beat DRX 3-1 in the lower grid match. On the Long Sogpeg play-offs, on the other hand, they pleasantly surprised by shutting out KT Rolster 3-0.
Most popular Nongshim RedForce champions
The most popular champion on the top line is Gnar (10 games, 90% wins). Jayce has appeared 8 times and has a winrate of 87%. Kenen was played 4 times and won all matches, KSante 4 times and 3 wins, Renekton 4 times and 2 wins.
In the forest were Vi (11 matches, 72% wins), Sejuani (10 games, 80% wins), Wukong (7 matches, 85% wins), Le Sin (6 games, 83% wins).
On the centre line it was Azir (13 games, 69% wins), Gragas (6 matches, 100% wins), Kassadin (5 games, 100% wins), Viktor (4 matches, 75% wins).
The most popular ADC is Lucian (12 matches, 83% wins). Next are Varus (8 games, 87% wins), Caitlyn (5 games, 100% wins), Zeri (4 matches, 75% wins).
Nami (13 matches, 84% winrate). Ashe and Lux have 4 games and 4 wins each.
History of head-to-head meetings Dplus KIA - Nongshim RedForce
In the season 2024 the teams played each other 4 times. All matches were won by DPlus KIA.
Predicted result of Nongshim RedForce vs DPlus KIA at LCK Cup 2025
In the last match with Nongshim RedForce I already predicted a loss for Nongshim RedForce, and as a result we got the drastically opposite result. However, DPlus KIA is still not KT Rolster and their clean performance in the group stage confirms it. I expect a 3-1 victory.
Bottom line: 3-1 win for DPlus KIA.
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