The third phase of the LPL group stage has officially kicked off, with EDG winning the opening match 2:0 against UP. The new support, Parukia, truly shone, earning the title of a young genius for this match alone. However, UP is considered the weakest in the rebirth group, so their strength remains to be seen. If they can perform well against NIP and LGD later, the future looks promising.

In the second match, the peak group battle between WBG and FPX saw the little phoenix's strength significantly weakened compared to the second phase after internal conflicts. Surprisingly, they lost a game against such a weak team, but the outcome was positive as Weibo secured their first victory. The third match was the highlight, with T1 facing IG, where both teams fought fiercely for three games, ultimately resulting in TES winning 2:1.

Wei, who just joined the team, replaced Jiejie as the starter. He put in considerable effort during these three matches. In the first game, TheShy went wild, dying twice in the first four minutes. However, little Wei's monkey didn't contribute much in counter-ganks, and he seemed focused on farming without influencing other lanes. In the second game, he performed excellently, collaborating with Meiko to invade and crush Kanavi, which helped his teammates become quite fed.

With the troll pushing forward and the three carries outputting recklessly, this game had a strong IG vibe. Unfortunately, in the third game, Gala single-handedly lost the match. Early on, Wei ganked bot, helping Gala secure first blood, but he then got killed under the tower. IG won multiple team fights, with Gala starting 5-1, but at the crucial moment, he returned to base in enemy vision, causing a disastrous team fight loss for IG.

That play was truly unnecessary; all teammates had already returned to base, and T1 had vision from a swift crab and even used a revealing fruit that spotted Gala. Yet he chose not to leave and ended up giving away a significant advantage. IG, who started strong, failed to control the crucial objectives and lost three teammates. In subsequent team fights, Gala's positioning was also questionable, standing too far forward and giving the enemy Thresh ample opportunity to engage, resulting in him being taken down repeatedly.

In the team fight at the 34-minute mark, after already securing a significant lead, Gala surprisingly walked towards Rookie, resulting in both carries being knocked up together. After Akali entered, she swiftly eliminated Gala. Initially, everyone was concerned about whether Wei could perform well after joining IG, but it turned out the biggest culprit wasn't him, but rather his old teammate Gala. Who can explain that? Was this the welcome ceremony?

With such a large advantage in the third game, if Gala had played it safe, IG could have easily won the subsequent team fights after completing their items. One can only say that Hang seized his opportunities well. Throughout the match, Wei may not have been the most eye-catching player for IG, but he was undoubtedly the most stable. He had minor mistakes but handled resources well and initiated team fights when necessary, yet his teammates kept giving opportunities. He probably didn't expect to become the captain so soon after joining.

Before the match, everyone was worried that Meiko might throw, but after these three games, he genuinely put in the effort. The three carries each threw a game, and the mid-laner also contributed to a loss. Winning this match seemed quite difficult. The key issue was that when he made mistakes, he only gave away significant advantages. Who can withstand that? However, it's just the first match, and identifying issues is a good thing. They should focus on adjustments moving forward.

Conclusion:

After watching AL play in the Oil Cup, returning to observe the LPL internal battles gives a sense of "chickens pecking at each other." Although TES and IG are strong teams, there were truly too many mistakes during the matches. It feels like after AL played against GEN, they would come back to LPL and dominate. AL's current strength has already left other teams behind.

So, what do you think of Wei's performance?

Feel free to leave your comments for discussion!