League Of Legends Worlds Groups Day 5: Results, Recaps, And Recommendations
The League of Legends World Championship kicked off with the Play-in stage of the tournament on Friday, September 25, and after a thrilling play-ins stage, the Groups began on October 3.
The best League teams from all around the world will be facing off against each other for the prestigious World Championship, immortalising themselves in League of Legends history.
With a scaling prize pool depending on the number of championship skins being bought (of which 25% go directly towards the teams), the overall amount will likely surpass $5,000,000 (~£4,000,000). In total 22 teams from eleven regions will be competing at the World Championship.
The main event began on October 3, putting the remaining 16 teams in four separate groups. The first three competitors in each group have already been determined, with the play-in tournament victors slotting in as the fourth seed in each respective group.
The first set of Groups matches have already taken place, so catch up with everything you missed, including features and analysis, on our Worlds Coverage Hub.
Check out the everything you need from Groups Day 5 below, including all the info on schedules, teams, game recaps, and more!
GROUPS DAY 5 (THURSDAY OCTOBER 8) - SCHEDULE
Click the links to jump to the recaps and results for that game!
9am BST/ 4am EST - Team Liquid VS G2 Esports
10am BST / 5am EST - Machi Esports VS Suning
11am BST / 6am EST - G2 Esports VS Machi Esports
12pm BST / 7am EST - Suning VS Team Liquid
1pm BST / 8am EST - Team Liquid VS Machi Esports
2pm BST / 9am EST - Suning VS G2 Esports
TIEBREAKER - Suning VS G2 Esports
Team Liquid VS G2 Esports (REWATCH RECOMMENDATION: 2.5 / 5 - G2 clap back)
The G2 Esports that was expected to show up the last time these two teams met showed up this time around. It was a suffocating, controlling and decisive game from the LEC’s #1 seed as they played through lanes and invested heavily in their early game. G2 began the game with a First Blood onto Jeong “Impact” Eon-yeong, setting Martin “Wunder” Nordahl Hansen decently ahead. Throughout the early game Mads “Broxah” Brock-Pedersen on the Hecarim was set behind by Marcin “Jankos” Jankowski, Jankos was constantly taking away his camps while also getting in good ganks in both the top and bottom lane.
The only shining light for Team Liquid was their bottom lane, but anytime they gained a small edge or advantage G2 would quickly take it away with key plays and ganks. Team Liquid tried their hand at forcing something — just anything to get back into the game in multiple team fights — but every single time they didn’t have enough follow up nor could they pack enough punch due to the discrepancy in both gold and experience.
G2 took the game slow and methodical, making sure they check all of their boxes in their decisive win. Wunder had a fantastic performance on the Sylas.
Machi Esports VS Suning (REWATCH RECOMMENDATION: 2.5 / 5 - if you don't take out the trash bin, it'll begin to smell)
In a similar game to G2 Esports vs Team Liquid, Suning began their controlled victory through the top lane. It was an action-filled first few minutes in the top lane as Chen “Bin” Ze-Bin got himself ahead on the Irelia solo-killing his lane counterpart multiple times — becoming a monster, finishing with a 7/2/5 scoreline. The onus was on Machi Esports to take control over the early game but Suning didn’t let them, past Bin’s monster Irelia performance, the rest of Suning showed up. Hu “SwordArt” Sho-Chieh’s Bard play was immaculate, setting up team fights for Suning.
Much like Team Liquid before them, MCX tried their best to get themselves back in the game with several team fights — although their team fighting was better than TL’s — it wasn’t enough, they were too behind.
G2 Esports VS Machi Esports (REWATCH RECOMMENDATION: 2.5 / 5 - Similar to the first match of the day, but not really)
G2 Esports have qualified for the Quarterfinals after their second controlled and dominant win of the day. Although a shakier game than the first one, G2 managed to get themselves a lead in the early game — as their composition was built to do — and were poised to follow it through to the end. A set of key plays from Machi Esports allowed them to stabilize the gold lead that G2 had built, clawing themselves back into the game. MCX set themselves up for their team composition to flourish come late game until a huge blunder in the mid lane cost them massively, allowing G2 to snowball until the end of the game.
G2 were posturing Baron and MCX felt opportunistic trying to get a pick onto Mihael “Mikyx” Mehle which ended up backfiring, leading to G2 killing several MCX players and getting themselves Baron — this blew the game wide open in favour of the European representatives.
Later, once again, similar to the play in the mid lane near Baron, MCX made the same mistake of getting overeager, contesting when they shouldn’t have. They had a close to an even trade by dragon but G2 ended up with dragon priority. Due to this priority, G2 decided to take the dragon to prevent MCX’s soul, MCX saw this and one again went in when they shouldn’t have. This play got them punished and G2 were able to end the game off of that.
With this loss against G2, MCX can no longer qualify pass the groups stage — their Worlds run has ended.
Suning VS Team Liquid (REWATCH RECOMMENDATION: 3 / 5 - TL keeps their Quarterfinals hopes alive)
Team Liquid took a must-win match after a strong performance versus Suning. It all began with TL giving North American fans a heart attack after the longest level one fight so far at Worlds. A Battle for raptors — as its customary for games with a Lilia — leads into a First Blood for TL onto Tang “huangfeng” Hung-Feng, later Edward “Tactical” Ra kills Lê "SofM" Quang Duy but Broxah dies to SwordArt. In the backend of the fight, Jo “CoreJJ” Yong-in kills SwordArt and TL get to run away. This was an overall win for TL.
Even with the level one, SofM managed to give himself a lead over Broxah, as he had some help from his teammates to make sure to set the Broxah Lilia behind. TL pushed themselves further and further in the lead especially after a play where TL’s bottom lane roamed up to counter SN’s play. SN got the catch onto TL, but TL’s bottom lane was a step ahead of the play, CoreJJ and Tactical being there turned it around — giving TL a bigger cushion in the lead.
Throughout the game, TL had control but couldn’t quite find an opening to cement the win. Until a key fight by Baron towards the end of the game where TL engage onto SN with a flank from Impact. This was the second long fight of the game as SN kept doubling down on a losing play, setting themselves even further behind. This was the breakout fight that TL needed to find Baron and later translate into the win.
TL keep their playoff hopes alive but need to defeat Machi Esports in the next match to keep it going.
Team Liquid VS Machi Esports (REWATCH RECOMMENDATION: 2.5 / 5 - TL keeps their Quarterfinals hopes alive pt.2)
Outside of losing to G2 Esports earlier today, Team Liquid have done everything in their power to keep their playoff hopes alive after a dominant win over Machi Esports. It all started with a level one invade led by CoreJJ on the Pantheon which led to a First Blood. CoreJJ kept that same attitude for the next few minutes of the game as he ran amok in MCX’s jungle. CoreJJ invaded Huang “Gemini” Chu-Xuan in his jungle setting him behind and later with Broxah, he killed Lin “Koala” Chih-Chiang by his blue buff.
These key plays by CoreJJ and the rest of TL set TL up for a three thousand gold lead at eight minutes. Although some slight hiccups with TL trying to end the game, TL managed to translate that dominant early game into a victory.
With this win, TL put the fate of their playoff hopes in G2’s hands. If G2 defeat Suning, TL gets to play a tiebreaker for second place in the group.
Suning VS G2 Esports (REWATCH RECOMMENDATION: 3 / 5 - Bye, Bye Miss American Pie)
Suning force a tiebreaker for first place in the group as they rectified their first loss against G2 Esports with a dominant win. G2 began the game with a failed invade into SN’s red buff where Mikyx was forced to use both of his summoners. The European representatives fell behind early off of the back of a forced play where they wanted to invade SofM’s krugs. They overforced and overextended the play leading to SN turning it around for a two for one. Overextensions and overforces were the name of the game for G2 as they did it constantly throughout the early game, just to get punished time and time again.
Due to this, G2 fell behind early and the Camille with unorthodox summoners and runes was too much to handle. SN terrorized the map for the rest of the game, stuffing anything that G2 threw at them.
With SN winning this match, Team Liquid's hopes of making it to the Quarterfinals have come to an end.
Tiebreaker - Suning VS G2 Esports (REWATCH RECOMMENDATION: 4/5 - Suning need to learn how to close)
Suning take first seed in their group after a back-and-forth game where they struggled to close it out. SN’s inexperience and inconsistencies in decision-making and play-calling showed through as G2 Esports made them work for their win. The game started with both teams having their junglers hard farm, speeding around the map — SofM on the Graves and Jankos on the Lilia. Past this, it was just a constant give and take in between the teams with SN getting the better of most of the fights.
By the mid-game SN had built up a strong lead that they were capitalizing on, punishing G2’s overextensions. Unfortunately for SN, they had plenty of overextensions of their own, getting greedy due to their lead. SN had accumulated for themselves three Barons in a row but still struggled to close it out. Throughout the game Luka “Perkz” Perković was getting strong on the Senna, getting up to 140 stacks.
It all hinged on a final decision of SN deciding to go for Baron once again and G2 trading soul for it. SN were able to quickly collapse after they took down Baron, Bin came up huge with his Gangplank having a team fight turning barrel onto Rasmus “Caps” Winther and Perkz. With the fight won, SN were able to finish off the game.
Images via Riot Games