Riyadh Masters’ group stage is pushing teams to their limit

We’ve entered day 2 of Riyadh Masters’ group stage. And after the first three matches, Gaimin Gladiators still haven’t gotten a single clean victory.

Their three draws will still be useful in avoiding elimination and possibly even securing an upper bracket spot. But it’s quite worrisome so see them struggling against so many opponents. Other competitors from WEU, such as Team Liquid, Tundra Esports, OG, and Team Secret, are also struggling at the moment.

Liquid drew twice in their first two matches. The first time against Team Aster and the second time against TSM. Tundra did even worse, drawing against Talon Esports and losing against BetBoom Team. OG will struggle to avoid elimination after two draws and one defeat. Secret lost their first two matches and are in a really bad position.

Group A standings

The teams that are currently thriving in group A of Riyadh Masters 2023 are Evil Geniuses, Quest Esports, Xtreme Gaming, and to some extent Gamin Gladiators. PSG.LGD, despite losing their third match, also have three points right now thanks to their victory against OG.

After the first three matches, the difference between the 1^st place and the 8^th place team is just 2 points. This leaves the race open to any kind of outcome. But it’s quite clear that the top four teams are a bit stronger than the rest.

Group B standings

Let’s try to repeat yesterday’s success ✨

vs @TeamLiquid⚔️#RiyadhMastershttps://t.co/uwCOTfYJOm pic.twitter.com/xzy2HnmPlf

— BetBoom Team (@BetBoomTeam) July 22, 2023

In group B, BetBoom seem unstoppable, and the top four teams look determined to preserve their upper bracket positions. These teams are BetBoom, Talon, Aster, and Liquid. All of them finished day 1 undefeated and will likely continue to win or at least draw matches in the coming days.

TSM, despite finishing day 1 with two draws, do not have a roster that’s capable of finishing in the top four.

Another team whose performance seems to be quite weak is Rebellion. Tournaments like Riyadh Masters clearly prove why being dominant in a region with a low competitive level is a recipe for disaster.

Without the ability to easily and constantly play against formidable opponents, a team risks developing a playstyle that’s ineffective without even realizing it. Of course, Shopify still have five matches left to play and they might surprise us. But based on their first two matches, it seems that they are lacking the tools to get a great result.

Header: Saudi Esports Federation