Match Prediction: Cloud9 - Golden Guardians | LoL

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As part of our Mid-Season Invitational 2023 play-offs review, we've put together a betting tip on Cloud9 vs Golden Guardians. A repeat of the LCS Spring 2023 Grand Final awaits in the first round of the lower net at MSI 2023.

This is surely an important match-up for the clubs that will determine the best team in North America in general and the LCS in particular. Nominally, the title goes to C9, but Golden Guardians now have a new opportunity to reclaim status before the LCS Summer 2023 Long Cog.

We'll see if the Guardians have a chance against title contender and main regional rival, or if C9 betting is the only team from the LCS at MSI 2023.

Let's get started.

Cloud9 form

Let's begin our analysis of the C9 vs Golden Guardians match-up by analysing the playing form of Cloud9. The reigning LCS champions will play here as favourites.

Bookmakers single out C9 as the winner of the match. The odds for such an outcome are in the region of 1.4.

It is worth noting that the odds for C9 to win is the highest among all the favourites for their matches in the play-offs of MSI 2023. This is due to the general state of affairs of LCS, which remains the weakest of the 4 Major regions in the modern League of Legends. There is no other explanation.

Cloud9 qualified for MSI 2023 by becoming the best LCS Spring 2023 team. The Cloud9s knew no equal in the regional spring league.

LCS Spring 2023 finished second in the group stage, beating them 13-5. The championship play-offs were much easier, starting with a 3-1 win over Counter Logic Gaming, then FlyQuest (3-0) and ending with Golden Guardians (3-1).

• Composition of Cloud9: Fudge, Blaber, EMENES, Berserker, Zven.

But international arenas are no match for the LCS as EMENES and Fudge won't be able to play on their shoulders. In their only MSI 2023 matchup to date, Cloud9 suffered an unqualified collapse as Bilibili Gaming edged C9 3-0 and now the Americans have one last chance.

Cloud9's most popular champions

• Top line: KSante (3 matches, 100% wins).
• Jungle: Maokai (5 matches, 100% wins).
• Centre Line: Yone, KSante, Jayce, LeBlanc, Tristana, Oriana, Sylas (1 game each, losing only to KSante).
• Shooter: Varus (3 games, 100% wins).
• Support: Heimerdinger (2 matches, 100% wins), Soraka (2 matches, 100% wins).

The situation is unpleasant for C9, but at this stage C9 are unlikely to finish their performance in the championship. The Golden Guardians can, of course, insert their own two coppers, but they're unlikely to beat the Cloudies globally.

Golden Guardians form

We continue the GC - Cloud9 match review with a review of the Golden Guardians' uniforms. In this match, they have the fate of the outsider of the match.

Bookmakers do not particularly believe in GC, but do not hurry to bury them. The odds for the second LCS team are in the region of 2.8.

The two-fold advantage is due to the same Golden Guardians' affiliation with the LCS and their second place there. It all makes sense.

Golden Guardians made it to the Mid-Season Invitational 2023 with the same second place in their region. It should be noted that they did it rather unexpectedly: the team somehow got through to play-offs from the last qualifying place in the group stage, after which they made a kind of "miracle-run" in the main stage.

In the main stage, the Golden Guardians beat 100 Thieves (3-2), Evil Geniuses (3-0) and FlyQuest (3-2). In the final, they were up against Cloud9, where they lost 1-3.

• Golden Guardians line-up: Licorice, River, Gori, Stixxay, huhi.

Unfortunately for Golden Guardians, finishing 2nd in LCS Spring 2023 did not guarantee a direct place in the Bracket Stage of MSI 2023. They had to sweat it out in the Play-In.

The Guardians looked pretty good in the Play-In. They beat GAM Esports and took the card from BLG in the top set before making their way through the bottom set.

In the last chance net, they didn't lose a single game: 2-0 against Rainbow7 and 3-0 against PSG Talon. However, already in the play-offs, the level of the opponents had increased manifold.

The first match for the Guardians was against JD Gaming. LPL Spring 2023 champions JD Gaming demolished Golden Guardians in a class by leaving no chance on any of the 3 cards.

Golden Guardians' most popular champions

• Top Line: Gwen (3 matches, 100% wins), Fiora (3 matches, 66% wins).
• Jungle: Wukong (5 games, 80% wins).
• Centre Line: KSante (4 games. 75% win rate).
• Shooter: Zeri (4 games, 50% wins).
• Sappers: Nami (3 games, 100% wins).

Golden Guardians will try to impose a dynamic League of Legends on C9, but they don't seem to have the means to do so yet. I'll accept a card from them, but no more than that.

There's nowhere else to go. Almost.

Cloud9 - Golden Guardians personal match history

The teams have previously played each other a few times during the LCS Spring 2023. Golden Guardians can boast their only win against C9 in the American League group stage.

Bottom line

In this matchup I expect a repeat of history with LCS Spring 2023. Cloud9 will be the only American team in the tournament and will play against a European club in their next match.

Golden Guardians might take the card, but again, not much else. Closer, though, is 3-0 in favour of C9.

Bottom line: a 3-0 win for Cloud9.