The third stage of LPL has concluded, with the top battle in the Nirvana group finished. EDG, who had not lost a match, faced off against NIP in a fierce three-game series. In the end, NIP won the match with a score of 2:1, ending EDG's six-game winning streak while maintaining NIP's first place in the Nirvana group. With only 10 matches played, NIP is now at 8-1. In their final match, they will also face the bottom team, Li Ning, and it seems NIP will wrap up with a 9-1 record.

Although both teams have qualified for the Knights' path, their rankings still matter significantly. The first place in the Nirvana group is likely to face the last place in the Knights' path. If they play against FPX, it would definitely be easier to reach the playoffs. After all, WE in the Knights' group can compete with BLG and TES, and when facing teams from the Nirvana group, it feels like they can easily dominate. Therefore, the advantage of being first in the Nirvana group is considerable.

The official manipulation of ELK data has been caught.

In their last match, BLG was defeated by AL, ending their seven-game winning streak. They had a nearly ten-thousand gold lead but were turned around, proving that the match was indeed "exciting." Before the match started, the officials shared data on ELK players in the livestream for the third stage. In all positions, ELK ranked first in KDA, average damage, average layers, economic difference, and pushing rate. The officials even awarded ELK the title of "Top Player."

However, after the match, viewers noticed discrepancies in the official data, raising suspicions of manipulation. For average damage, ELK only had 839, ranking third among players, while IG's dual carries, TheShy and Gazi, had 853 and 930 respectively, with Gazi leading ELK by nearly 100. Yet the officials listed ELK as first in that category. Although the officials later corrected the data, this incident sparked controversy.

Kanavi: "We will 100% win against IG."

After defeating JDG and reclaiming the top spot in the Knights' group, T1 is set to face off in the "Ninja World War" against Incheon 3C once again. This match should be second only to IG vs. BLG in terms of excitement. Both teams have recently been in great form, and it seems likely that the match will go the full BO3. As for who will win, it’s hard to say. Previously, IG couldn't beat T1, but this stage, IG's performance has improved significantly.

When Kanavi was asked in an interview how confident he was about winning against IG, he directly responded: "We will definitely take it." It appears Kanavi is quite confident, and he likely has a strategy in mind, aiming to target the top lane and take down TheShy (the legendary Shy catcher). However, compared to before, TheShy and Gazi are now quite formidable. If they focus solely on the top lane, IG's dual carries might have a field day.

Xu Xiu unlocks the achievement of 400 wins in the league.

LCK's Nirvana group king, DK, swept DRX 2-0 on the last match day, achieving their 15th win of the season. This BO3 was quite abstract, with a storyline somewhat similar to BLG vs. AL. In the first game, DK had a huge early advantage, leading DRX by over seven thousand gold by the 25-minute mark. However, they suddenly struggled in the late game, allowing DRX to even the economic gap, and at the 40-minute mark, DRX nearly ended the game with a 5-2 advantage.

In a 2v5 situation, Siwoo the rabbit made incredible plays, securing a pentakill that saved DK. For those who missed this match, it's truly a regret in life. Nevertheless, in the second game, DK easily crushed their opponents to win the match. Xu Xiu unlocked the achievement of 400 wins in the LCK league during this BO3. Although it pales in comparison to Faker's 700 matches, it’s still a milestone and offers a chance to strive for more.

Conclusion:

In the battle between IG and T1, both teams are currently evenly matched in terms of form and strength. However, TES's stability is higher than IG's. In this stage, FPX has struggled against everyone in the Knights' group, only managing to defeat IG once, indicating there are still issues. In their last encounter, T1 won against IG 2:1, but this time it's hard to predict.

So what do you think? Can IG defeat T1?

Feel free to leave your comments for discussion!