The third week of the WEU 2021-2022 DPC was critical during Tour 1, and it also had a key role this time. Following another week of back-and-forth series, we already know the name of one of the teams that will try to take one of the sports for the Major. The same applies to the two teams that will most likely play in Division II during Tour 3.
Week 3 in Western Europe had one more match than last week, so there was plenty of action. Some games were a lot more interesting than others, so here is a quick overview of each match.
Division I
Nigma Galaxy vs Tundra Esports
After watching Nigma during the event in Dubai, we thought that they’d finally found the formula for success. However, judging by the team’s results, this is not the case.
Although many players and Dota 2 fans expected Ivan Borislavov “MinD_ContRoL” Ivanov and his teammates to win, Tundra Esports dominated in both games. The first one was more intense because IO and Gyrocopter are always a powerful combo. NGX used it well, but their damage was not enough to bring down Razor, Pangolier, and Sand King. These three heroes caused havoc in the team fights, so it wasn’t surprising that Tundra won most encounters.
After losing game one, NGX decided to get Phantom Assassin and hope that the RNG crits would carry them. Sadly, Tundra Esports had a better drat once again as they picked KOTL and Pango for the second game in a row. The team also had Necro and Chaos King, so it wasn’t surprising that they dominated early on. Nigma’s PA was unable to accumulate the needed farm, which led to yet another loss.
Team Liquid vs Brame
Brame is one of the newcomers in Division I, but it seems like the team still needs time to adapt. After losing its first two games in the division, it suffered another loss. This time, Brame had to fight against Team Liquid, which is one of the favorites.
Surprisingly, the first game was a lot more interesting than anticipated. Brame had Morphling and once the late game arrived, people thought that they would win. However, Lasse Aukusti “MATUMBAMAN” Urpalainen’s Gyro and the team’s IO carried Liquid to victory.
It seems like the first loss was demoralizing because Liquid won the second game much easier. Despite picking Chen and several other intriguing heroes, Brame was unable to defeat its stronger foe.
Team Secret vs Gladiators
Despite the good start, Team Secret made a mistake and lost its match against Tundra. Fortunately, it won against OG, and now it was time to meet the winners of last time’s Regional Qualifiers.
Everyone expected Clement “Puppey” Ivanov and the rest of his team to win, but TS was not even close. Gladiators were the better team in both games and proved that they will be one of the leading contenders for the Major.
The first game was a lot more fun than it seemed because the Gladiators picked Meepo. This is one of AM’s most extensive counters in pro games, so it wasn’t surprising that Secret lost.
Since the tactic where TS focused on the late game didn’t work, the team decided to get heroes like Huskar and Marks for game two. Although it played better, this lineup was no match for Gladiators, who got IO and CK. Despite the fact that Timbersaw is great against CK, Miroslav “BOOM” Bičan played exceptionally well and carried his team to victory.
Nigma Galaxy vs Brame
Just when we thought that it couldn’t get any worse, Nigma Galaxy lost its match against Brame. Despite being the big favorites in this series, TI 7 champions were unable to defeat one of the newcomers in Division I. Consequently, they lost their third match in the division.
What was even more surprising was the way NGX lost. Instead of being a close series, Brame gave their opponents zero chances of succeeding. Miracle- and co. tried to use Huskar and Dazzle in the first game, but their opponents ripped through them.
The same happened in game two, but this time, both teams had different drafts. After Brame won the first map in 25 minutes, the team needed another 32 minutes to win the second one. This victory allowed them to advance to fifth place in the Division.
OG vs Tundra
OG continues to impress its fans. After defeating one of the favorites in Division I. Team Tundra is a name that can always explode, so it shouldn’t be surprising that it won its first three matches. Sadly, Jingjun “Sneyking” Wu and the rest were unable to defeat the powerful team of OG.
The young players picked interesting drafts and had Enigma in both games. The first one was focused on Ember and Timber, whereas the second one was all about the “wombo-combo”. Despite the fact that the EU team had a few chances of gaining a significant advantage in game two, OG was the better team and deserved their victory.
Gladiators vs NGX
This was definitely not NGX’s best week because TI 7 champion lost its third series. After four consecutive losses, Nigma is current in 8th place in Division I.
The first game wasted just 26 minutes as Gladiators ripped through their enemies. Nigma bounced back in game two after picking several top heroes despite the loss. Ursa and Undying allowed them to equalize the result and go to a game three.
Nigma used Huskar in the third game of the match, but even one of the best cores in the current meta was unable to bring down Gladiators. Ursa and IO prevailed and gave Gladiators a fourth victory.
Division II
Winter Bear vs CHILLAX
The third week in WEU’s Division II kicked off with a dominant victory from Stoyan “lil pleb” Kostov and co. As expected, the team had little to no problems against WB, which is currently last in Division II. Both games were fast-paced, and CHILLAX needed under 30 minutes to win in both of them.
Alliance vs IVY
Unsurprising, Alliance continues to show its prowess in Division II after defeating another team. This time, Nikolay “Nikobaby” Nikolov and the other members of his team had to go up against IVY.
The first game was fun because we had the chance to see Niko’s AM and a Storm Spirit from IVY. As expected, the Bulgarian prodigy out-farmed his opponents and won the game. Speaking of winning, game two was just 18 minutes because Alliance ripped through their opponents.
Chicken Fighters vs Into The Breach
Chicken Fighters is one of the teams that the needed skills to go to Division I. Following this victory, the squad is one step closer to achieving its goal.
The first game was long and interesting because there were tons of team fights. Although ITB’s draft was great, CF’s AA and Ember Combo were too strong in the late game, even for the powerful Invoker.
After winning game one, Chicken Fighters had no problem in game two. They needed around 25 minutes to “suffocate” their opponents and secure a crucial victory.
Team Bald vs CHILLAX
The second match of the day brought CHILLAX a third victory in Division II, making them one of the best-performing teams. Unlike in their previous match, this time, Team Bald did not go down without a fight.
CHILLAX won both games, but it was not easy because their opponents played well. Sadly, Team Bald’s efforts were not enough and the squad lost another game, putting them in 5th position in Division II.
Alliance vs goonsquad
Alliance was the most dominating team in WEU’s Division II, but their winning streak came to an end. Nikobaby and his teammates were the favorites, but they’ve lost both games.
The classic CM + Juggernaut combo was not strong enough to bring down Ember and TB, and Alliance lost the first game of the series. The laning was ok, but many crucial mistakes prevent the EU squad to win.
It tried to change the tactic for game two, but goonsquads IO, Razor, and CK were just on another level. These heroes allowed GS to control the game and prevent Niko’s Luna from accumulating the needed farm.
As a result, Alliance did not have enough damage to bounce back and lost the second game of the series.
