Fnatic are on top of the standings, while KOI are at the bottom. What happens when the best meets the worst?
Still undefeated, Fnatic have confirmed their presence in the playoffs. But for the EMEA team, it’s not time to relax. Instead, they want to get ahead and remain undefeated throughout the group stage. Their next match is against KOI esports who are languishing at the bottom of the standings.
Team 1 | Team 2 | Map 1 | Map 2 | Map 3 | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fnatic | KOI | Lotus (13-4) | Ascent (13-9) | Fracture | 2-0 |
Fnatic vs KOI
With a slot secured for the playoffs, Fnatic are undoubtedly the heavy favorites coming into this series. But even though KOI have had a rough couple of matches, the team is fully capable of upsetting Fnatic.
With gameplay that relies heavily on aim and less on strategy, KOI’s playstyle is in stark contrast to that of Fnatic. Whether Fnatic gets caught off-guard or not depends a lot on their preparation for this match.
Maintaining the top seed in the group stage is even more important for Fnatic. They have NAVI at 6-1 right now and any loss could potentially throw the VCT EMEA standings off balance.
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Map 1 - Fnatic dominate KOI
With Lotus as the first map, Fnatic came in strong for the series. Lotus is one of their better maps so far at this tournament. Meanwhile, with the players' brimming with confidence, the Fnatic juggernaut looked unstoppable.
KOI looked extremely incoherent in their positioning and rotations. The communication seemed to have been broken down. With a 1.82 rating, Alfajer was simply unstoppable often flanking the enemy, but also holding down the fort whenever required.
Ultimately it was just a question of when Fnatic would end up winning the game. Fnatic won Lotus with a 13-4 score.
Map 2
The second map was KOI On the defense. And they started strong with a 7-0 lead. The early lead raised hopes of a potential competitive series. For KOI fans, while their team's chances of making it to the next stage were very slim, they wanted to see their favorite players put up a fight.
As good of a start as it was, the comeback from Fnatic was equally disheartening for KOI supporters. From 0-7 to 6-8, Fnatic fans were going in for the kill.
The same problems that plagued KOI in Map 1 seem to have returned for Map 2. Fnatic simply had the better push and aim. Ultimately Fnatic won the map and the series.
While this match might not be as much of an impact for Fnatic, it was definitely an important one for KOI. Despite being 0-5 and bottom of the standings, theoretically, KOI are not yet confirmed to be eliminated. They'd need a miracle, yes. But it's possible.
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