Group B.
Format: BO2.
4.02.2024 15:00
Azure Ray
Azure Ray won ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 but with a different lineup. After the tournament, Xm, Xxs, and XinQ moved to Xtreme Gaming. They were replaced by Ori, Faith_Bian (renamed Bach), and fy. Despite all the difficulties in the January qualifiers, Azure Ray will play in BetBoom Dacha Dubai 2024 and try to get another title, albeit with different players.
We doubt about Faith_Bian's tonus - will the offliner be as effective as he was in 2021? Ori supports that scary mix on the offlane, about which Invictus Gaming had few complaints. He's never been cited as one of the best midlaners on the planet, but he can play well with his teammates within the Chinese meta. Finally, after the tournament in Malaysia, many people admired Lou's play. Before the win in Kuala Lumpur, there were a lot of questions about the carry, but now he is on par with Monet and Ame in China.
Azure Ray qualified for BetBoom Dacha Dubai 2024 and DreamLeague Season 22 in January but stumbled in the final of the ESL One Birmingham 2024 qualifier against G2.IG. The team won thirteen of their fifteen home matches. Still, Azure Ray has probably had the toughest qualifying schedule in China in recent memory. Therefore, the new fy team will definitely not be underestimated.
OG
OG sent Chu, Taiga, and DM to other teams at the end of 2023, left Misha as coach, and added Wisper, Ceb, and Ari to the lineup. The new five players look much more promising than the previous five. OG won spots at BetBoom Dacha Dubai 2024 and DreamLeague Season 22 but failed to qualify for ESL One Birmingham 2024. Why is the current OG lineup more interesting than last year's? DM is weaker than Wisper. The Bolivian has been "burning out" complex lines and making them easy, allowing Ari to play more around the map and help bzm get kills. Ceb also helps them out here - the French Dota 2 legend doesn't like to be patient. OG is the first to create chaos on the map, which Yuragi takes advantage of and quickly gains critical power. In January 2024, the team played ten series at the European Qualifiers, losing only their last series against Tundra Esports (1-3). OG's main advantage in tier-1 tournaments is Ceb. Sebastian is stable mentally and knows how to energize his teammates. According to the statistics, OG performs much better with Ceb in the lineup than without him, and in 2022, they even won the ESL One Stockholm Major 2022. Considering the team's current form, they can compete for high places in tier-1 tournaments.
Expert Betting Tips
Both teams played well in the regional qualifiers and have similar records. Bookmakers cannot find a favorite in this match. Betting on a draw will be quite problematic, as either team can end the game in a shutout. But OG is more aggressive in its style compared to Azure Ray.