T1 advance to the upper bracket Final of MSI 2023

The upper bracket semifinals of MSI 2023 started with a very exciting match between T1 and Gen.G Esports. These two teams know each other well and are in a constant battle for the top three places in LCK.

In the Spring Split of 2023, T1 easily won the group stage with a near-perfect record: 17 W – 1 L. But Gen.G, despite their much weaker group stage performance (13 W – 5 L), managed to beat T1 in the playoffs. And not just any playoffs match. They did it in the Grand Final (3-1).

T1 had won the upper bracket Final with the same score, as well as the two group stage matches. But when it mattered most, Gen.G delivered and proved the doubters wrong.

For T1, such defeats are painful because they happen all too often. In the Grand Final of Worlds 2022, Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok and his crew had both the crowd and the statistics on their side against DragonX. But despite the 80%+ chance of winning, DRX beat them in the most painful way possible. The final score was 2-3, after T1 had led 2-1.

Gen.G vs. T1

In this semifinal, T1 had a lot to prove. They knew they were stronger and had every reason to win. But achieving this win was hard.

In the first two games, T1 picked Sion and Annie, two champions then tend to play quite often. And despite Gen.G’s best efforts, they won both times. The first game lasted 36 minutes while the second one was more one-sided and was over in just 26.

But Gen.G changed their strategy for the next two games, picking Jinx and Wukong. T1 responded with two champions they are very good at, Aphelios and Lulu. Ahri and Annie were picked as well. Each time, Gen.G played to perfection and knew exactly how to exploit their draft advantage.

The two games lasted 30 minutes each and looked very similar. Every member of Gen.G knew what he had to do and together, they neutralized the impact of Faker and his carry.

Game five was the one that decided the match and it was a bit underwhelming. T1 quickly took control of the battle and used their Xayah to perfection. What was hard to understand in this match was the reason why Gen.G picked Alistar against T1’s terrifying combo. The game ended after just 26 minutes.

Header: Riot Games