DWG KIA continue on their way to the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational finals after a 3-2 series against MAD Lions. The LEC champions fought hard, but Damwon rallied to secure the win and look to win their second major tournament in a row.
After RNG defeated PSG Talon yesterday, the second MSI semifinal featured MAD Lions and DWG KIA. In the Rumble, Damwon had been the stronger team, but would the Lions show they could do otherwise?
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Damwon started the series with a convincing win, establishing control over the early game and never letting go. MAD had few ways to equalize the series and had to take the loss. DWG looked to have a good start in the second game as well, but a few mistakes and inspired play by MAD’s bot lane turned it around. The teams would trade blows, but a kill on Cho "BeryL" Geon-hee gave MAD the cloud soul. Soon after, Damwon chose to commit to a risky 4v5 fight that saw them aced and cost them the game.
MAD and Damwon continued trading blows in game 3. The LCK champions got a gold lead with their objective lead, but MAD found kills that let them get back in the game and took over the middle of the map. After a series of close fights and punishes of DWG misplays, the Lions eventually got an infernal soul. With it, they took a Baron, all 3 inhibitors and ended the game.
MATCH POINT for @MADLions_LoLEN! #MSI2021 pic.twitter.com/TvLSPxDwHN
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) May 22, 2021
DK could not concede any more games and in the next one, they hit hard. MAD actually had an early gold lead, but a series of overreaches around the 10-minute mark saw Damwon win a couple of skirmishes. The LCK champions snowballed hard, ending the game in just over 22 minutes. It would come to Silver Scrapes. In the final game, DWG KIA amassed a a big lead with their masterful map play. Time and again, they came with more people to fights and established control over the game. They took the Nexus in some 23 minutes, having spent the last few minutes practically camping in the MAD base.
WELCOME TO THE #MSI2021 FINAL, @DWGKIA! pic.twitter.com/9GPwykh1C2
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) May 22, 2021
With this win, DWG KIA have secured their finals spot. There, they will come against Royal Never Give Up, their big Rumble rival. MAD Lions have to return home and wait for the LEC summer split - though unlike their Worlds run, they can come with their heads held high.
READ MORE:
- RNG Defeat PSG Talon 3-1 to Return to MSI Final
- MSI 2021 Semi-Final and Final Predictions
- Mid-Season Invitational Rumble Streams and Results (Updated)
The final starts from 3 PM tomorrow, May 23rd. For more LoL news and analysis, make sure to follow our coverage at earlygame.com. You can also follow our Facebook page and join our Discord server to always stay informed!