Introduction:

In recent years, LPL's international performance has been underwhelming, so many BLG fans joked that "only BLG can handle foreign matches." But at this year's EWC, AL and JDG demonstrated their capabilities by defeating LCK's DK and MSI's standout dark horse LYON during the group stage. In particular, AL set an impressive record: they have achieved five consecutive wins against LCK teams in both BO1 and BO3 formats, and no LCK team has managed to defeat AL in BO1 or BO3 so far.

JDG's performance in the EWC also surprised many LPL viewers. After all, JDG had a poor showing in the LPL playoffs, easily crushed by TES, so many were expecting JDG to embarrass themselves internationally. However, JDG dominated LYON in their match. Considering that LYON had swept G2 3-0 and gone to a full BO5 against HLE during MSI, JDG's strong play led many to look forward to their future matches. Some fans even started cheering for JDG in the third split, hoping they can suppress TES and prevent TES from humiliating themselves abroad again.

Of course, BLG's first match in the EWC did not disappoint fans either. BLG easily defeated MKOI in the first round, advancing to the winners' bracket second round. Bin even secured a solo kill against his opponent, turning the MKOI top laner into a 0/7 score. However, due to his previous international performances, Bin's public reputation has suffered—even with strong in-game performances, few fans are willing to support him, resulting in a match rating of only 4.0.

Although Bin lacks popularity among viewers, he holds high esteem among LPL players. During a fun interview at the EWC, the host asked, "Who is the world's best top laner at the EWC?" The four LPL players interviewed—Saint Gun, Shanks, GALA, and Junjia—all named Bin as the top top laner. Saint Gun, in particular, laughed and said that whenever asked about the world's best top laner, his answer will always be Bin. Many viewers joked that Saint Gun was being too sarcastic, while others believed he was sincere.

After all three LPL teams secured victories, the upcoming EWC matches promise to be exciting. JDG will face MSI champions HLE, AL will take on G2, and BLG is set to meet their old rival T1. Most viewers are looking forward to yet another clash between BLG and T1, as both teams enjoy immense popularity and discussion in China. T1's jungler, ONER, even issued a challenge to BLG in an interview, stating that they would defeat BLG 2-0 in the group stage.

Although ONER's statement was bold, many viewers joked that he has been too absorbed in romance and fitness(Earlier, an insider revealed that ONER went on a date with his girlfriend to relax on the same day T1 was eliminated from MSI, leading many T1 fans to criticize his professional attitude.)and hasn't had time to study the EWC competition rules. According to EWC regulations, all winners' bracket group stage matches are BO1, with only elimination matches using BO3. This means that if T1 and BLG meet in the winners' bracket, it will be a single BO1 match, making a 2-0 score impossible.

Conclusion

Based on EWC rules, all matches except the final are BO1 or BO3. Personally, I really hope AL can eliminate an LCK team in the quarterfinals or semifinals, which would increase LPL's chances of winning the EWC. Of course, what do you think—who has the best chance of winning this EWC? I'm actually looking forward to a BLG vs. HLE final, curious to see if Bin will adopt a more team-oriented approach when facing Zeus again.