The final four teams of MSI are set and the semi-finals are ready to start. Things are getting serious and heating up in the final days of the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational, we’ve decided to make our bold predictions of who will get to lift the MSI trophy this year.
Will the underdogs of the LEC and the PCS make their moves or will RNG and DAMWON continue their reign of dominance?
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When Will the Semi-Finals Take Place?
After some schedule changes due to the Chinese travel restrictions, second-seeded RNG will face off against PSG in their semi-final on Friday at 3 PM CEST instead of Saturday. Due to their flight back home on Monday, RNG has to have an IgM anti-body test done 48 hours before their flight back to China. This issue was addressed today once more during the MSI Media Day by both RNGs, as well as, DAMWON’s head coaches.
Due to these changes, RNG will play a day early against third-seeded PSG, while DAMWON will face the MAD Lions Saturday at 3 PM CEST.
Who Will Win the RNG vs. PSG Semi-Final?
Throughout the tournament, PSG Talon has shown how much they’ve been growing. Having to play the tournament with a substitute ADC threw the PCS representatives off in the early stages of the tournament, but with every game, the team seems to become better and better.
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Chiu “Doggo” Tzu-Chuan, the young substitute ADC stated during the MSI Media Day that he was quickly able to integrate into the team and gain synergy with the PSG Talon squad due to their communication skills. Thanks to his aggressive play the team was able to take down RNG as well as the MAD Lions in the rumble stage.
Meanwhile, RNG has been one of the two favorites to take the MSI trophy. Throughout the tournament, the team has struggled in the early game, but jungler Yan “Wei” Yang-Wei stated that they would clean up their sloppy play for the semi-finals.
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Both teams are looking dangerous and hungry to move onto the finals. RNG does have the edge over PSG due to their experience and sheer dominance in the group and rumble stage, while PSG has just been looking better with every performance. The game is going to be a nail-biter, but we believe that RNG will take the win and move onto the finals on Sunday. RNG 3 - 1 PSG.
Are you ready for the #MSI2021 Knockout Stage? Here's how the 4 most ferocious teams in the tournament got this far. pic.twitter.com/eh5DhxB6Zk
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) May 20, 2021
Who Will Win the DK vs. MAD Semi-Final?
DAMWON KIA has been the clear favorite since the beginning of the tournament. Their vision control and ability to stay calm in any situation has set them apart from the rest of the pack.
Going into Saturday’s match most would believe the MAD Lions to be the clear underdogs, but the players do not think of themselves as such. At the MSI Media Day ADC Matyáš "Carzzy" Orság stated that he was confident in winning since the team did manage to take down RNG and that the knock-out stage would be a Bo5, making it a completely different ball game.
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Support player Norman "Kaiser" Kaiser also explained that playing a Bo5 is vastly different from a Bo1 and that the team which adapts better will come out victorious in the end. So if the MAD Lions keep up their confidence and play the way they did against RNG, PSG and C9, they’ll have a shot at the 2021 MSI title.
DAMWON KIA won’t be an easy opponent for the LEC team though. Sure, the reigning World Champions had a few blunders in the rumble stage, losing to RNG, but they aren’t focusing on the pressure of coming in as favorites, but rather chose to focus on adjusting the details in their gameplay.
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DAMWON head coach Kim "kkOma" Jeong-gyun explained that they chose to face off against MAD Lions in the semi-final since the team thought it was easier to play against them in this situation than PSG.
Will this confidence be their downfall? Looking at the overall record of both teams, DAMWON really stands out. They have the experience of last year's World Championship and a dominant split in the LCK behind them. Not to mention that they managed to claw their way back into games they’d fallen behind thanks to their calm and collected play. Therefore, we do think that DAMWON will be able to adjust to their opponent and move onto the MSI semi-finals. DK 3 - 1 MAD.
11 Regional champions traveled to Iceland to battle it out, and we're down to the last 4. Only one question remains... Who will Break Out at #MSI2021? Semifinals: May 21st: @RNGRoyal vs. @PSG_TalonMay 22nd: @DWGKIA vs. @MADLions_LoLEN Watch live at https://t.co/lh1tk7wEe0 pic.twitter.com/BC7zXufZk1
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) May 20, 2021
Who Will Win the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational?
The 2021 Mid-Season Invitational will conclude on Sunday. We predict that both DAMWON and RNG will make it to the final, representing the LCK and the LPL.
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Throughout the rumble stage, RNG had DAMWON’s number, taking both wins. It is important to note though that the rumble stage was played in a best-of-one format, which didn’t leave much room for adjustments and surprises.
The finals will be played as a best-of-five which means that a single loss won’t be as dramatic and teams can bounce back and make changes to the draft as well as strategy on the fly. The team which is better prepared for all situations will take the win.
Therefore, the EarlyGame prediction for the winner of this year's MSI – and the team which will get an extra slot at the 2021 League of Legends World Championship for their region – is going to be DAMWON KIA. DK 3 - 2 RNG.
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