Maç Tahmini: Team Liquid - Team Spirit | Dota 2

Hello again!

We continue with a look at the group stage of The Bali Major 2023, the last Major tournament of the season. On screens is Group A and the match between Team Liquid and Team Spirit.

In my opinion, this is the central clash of the tour at least. Several factors point to this at once.

Firstly, the derby between Western and Eastern Europe. Often the matches between teams from these regions are the most entertaining and the most interesting.

Secondly, Spirit and Liquid are both top teams with high claim to the top spots at the end of the Bali Major 2023. This is evident from the teams' performance in their previous matches.

All in all, we're in for a very spirited duel. At least on paper, the match looks that way.

Let's try to see if there will be a winner in this match that will be able to improve his stats in the group stage after the match.

Let's go.

Team Spirit's form

We'll start the breakdown of the match with an analysis of Team Spirit's form. The team will play this match as the favourites.

The bookmakers are very cautious in their evaluations. They give odds of around 1.8 to win the Spirit.

Such a figure says not so much about the Spirit's advantage, but about parity in the game. Perhaps, this is the most logical indicator that could ever be. All because in the Bali Major 2023, Spirit are finally looking upbeat, as the Dragons looked so-so before the Long Song of the last Major a season.

In the first round of the DPC 2023: EEU Division 1, Spirit finished second. The Dragons were then prevented from winning by BB Team, who finished the tournament on top 7-0. After a home league appearance, Team Spirit attended The Lima Major 2023 where they finished in the top 8.

Later, the Spirit played the second round of their home league and again finished in the top-2. Going to The Berlin Major 2023 expected to improve the result of the previous Major, however, in the end, things only got worse: already in the top-12.

Despite "sluggish" international play, the Spirit still steadily make it through the Major groups and look like the main contender to win every game at home. That was the case in the third season of DPC 2023.

Spirit finished the final Eastern European cycle in first place. It took 3 tries to get the title in Eastern Europe.

• The composition of Team Spirit: Yatoro, Larl, Collapse, Mira, Miposhka .

The last tournament before DreamLeague Season 20 was DreamLeague S20 for the Dragons. There, the Eastern Europeans finished in the Top 5, which is quite a good result, considering the above-mentioned results for the year.

The Bali Major 2023 is little by little a kind of redemption for Team Spirit. At the time of writing, Spirit are in second place at 4-2.

Team Spirit's most popular characters

Crystal Maiden tops the list of Team Spirit's most-chosen characters. The character has appeared in spades six times and has an 83% win rate.

In addition to Crystal Maiden, Disruptor and Underlord are also favored, having been spiked 5 times each with an 80% win rate. There was also Skywrath Mage (4 matches, 100% wins), Doom (4 matches, 75% wins), PL, Viper, Slark, Riki appeared 3 times each and has 100% wins.

Team Liquid form

Against Team Spirit in this match will be Team Liquid. And in the status of the nominal outsider (at the time of writing the betting tournament).

The bookmakers put odds on Liquid's victory at around 1.9. This is probably the second time this season that the Liquid are in underdog status. Prior to that, the team has only been ranked second in games against the Gladiators.

I am sure that the bookies' opinion is influenced by Liquid's performance in DreamLeague Season 20. Apparently, a peculiar respite from Liquid has severely damaged the image of the world's top 2 team.

At DPC 2023: WEU Division 1 Tour 1 Liquid did not lose a single match, and then took the Top 2 at The Lima Major 2023, while playing with substitutes. More than worthy.

The second round of the DPC was as similar to the previous one as possible. Liquid again took the Top 1, but now with one defeat in the table. On the international stage, Liquid again shone, but were still overshadowed by Gaimin Gladiators, who took their second Major trophy of the season.

In the third season, Liquid were no longer able to clinch the premiership. "The Liquid fell to fourth place, but luckily this was enough to qualify for the Bali Major 2023, which makes no difference for Team Liquid that qualified for The International 2023.

• Liquid squad: miCKe, Nisha, zai, Boxi, Insania .

After the disappointing result in DreamLeague Season 20, where Team Liquid were eliminated from the first group stage, there was a feeling that the Bali Major 2023 will be held on liquid notes for the Liquid. However, the Liquid decided to go all in and play to the best of their abilities.

Before Spirit, the Liquid will face a match against Aster. Ahead of them the Liquid have games against their main rivals in the group, and so far their 5-1 is a cool indicator, but it's worth to understand that the victories were scored against very weak teams like Blacklist and Execration.

Team Liquid's most popular heroes

In the top picks, Team Liquid has Crystal Maiden with 7 games and 6 wins.

In addition to Crystal Maiden choose Doom (4 games, 100% wins), Sven (4 games, 75% wins), Skywrath Mage (4 games, 75% wins).

Rubick (4 matches, 25% wins), Void Spirit (3 matches, 100% wins) appear in spades, Underlord, Pangolier, Storm Spirit each have 3 matches and all have 2 wins.

History of head-to-head encounters

The teams have previously played each other twice on the 2023 season. Both games were played in DreamLeague Season 19 and DreamLeague Season 20 and both games ended in a draw.

The outcome of the match

In this matchup, the most expected outcome remains a draw. The odds before the match, as well as the teams' respective records from the season end, bear this out. The factual performance of the teams at the tournament, which is very similar, completes it all.

Bottom line: draw.