ESL One Germany 2020 Day 2 Preview and Analysis

ESL One Germany 2020 had its first competitive day yesterday and in this article, I will take a look at the results and then offer an analysis of what might happen on day 2.

Day 1 Match Review

The first day of ESL One Germany 2020 had two matches.

Team Secret versus Tempo Esports

As it was expected, Team Secret won its match against Tempo Esports. The score was 2 – 0 but the games were surprisingly difficult given that Team Secret is probably the best team in the world while Tempo Esports is little more than a regional nobody. But in spite of this, Secret needed 46 minutes to end the first game and 32 minutes to end the second one. It is true, however, that Puppey went for a rather strange set of drafts, with Bloodseeker and Vengeful Spirit being picked in both games. Tempo sought to secure a strong start and picked Undying. This is likely one of the reasons why the games lasted so long.

Ninjas in Pyjamas versus NiP

In the second match, between 5men and Ninjas in Pyjamas, the result was surprising. NiP managed to win against a considerably stronger opponent with a score of 2 – 0. The first game ended quickly, in 32 minutes, while the second one ended after a hard-fought battle and needed 50 minutes to conclude.

Day 2 Preview

The second day of ESL One Germany 2020 will have 3 matches.

Vikin.gg versus HellRaisers

This match heavily favors Vikin.gg. The European squad just won an important trophy at BTS Pro Series Season 3: Europe/CIS, where they had to outsmart opponents like 5men, mudgolems, and NiP. One of the teams they played against was HellRaisers. The match took place in the Group Stage and ended in a draw. However, given that HR ultimately finished the tournament in 5^th – 6^th place while Vikin.gg won the title by demolishing FATA’s team, mudgolems, with a 3 – 0 score in the Grand Final, it’s quite clear that Vikin.gg is the favorite in this Bo3.

Team Liquid versus mudgolems

Team Liquid is not in great shape right now. But it still is much stronger than mudgolems, at least on paper. Liquid regularly plays against the best competitors in Europe and CIS, while FATA’s team has just been created. I’m pretty sure that if they stay together, mudgolems will get much stronger over the next few months. But at this point, Liquid is the favorite.

Winstrike versus OG

And finally, we have Winstrike against OG. This match should end with a quick 2 – 0 in favor of OG, given that N0tail’s team is much better than Winstrike not only by virtue of its world-class roster or because it won the last two editions of The International, but also because its recent results clearly indicate this. In strong regional events, Winstrike is usually not even present, while OG is one of the top contenders.

 

Photo credit: Valve