All the highlights from the Play-Ins of Dota 2 Invitational Series Dubai.
The Play-Ins include teams which we expected to perform a lot better. Team Spirit had a tough time against Tundra and Fnatic. Team Secret were on the receiving end of BOOM, who are playing well in the tournament. TSM are hanging on with their win against Fnatic in the groups. Let’s have a look at the Play-In matches.
Team Spirit Vs Nigma Galaxy SEA
Game-1
The first match saw Spirit pick an early Aegis and dominate the game with it. They kept driving the momentum of the match and racked up a lot of gold. On the back foot, Nigma could not come back into the game and Team Spirit won the match. The ending scoreline was 22-35.
Game-2
Team Spirit were aggressive from the start of the second match. At around 13 minutes, they were 3k gold ahead in net worth. However, Nigma were not too far from catching up. However, a few terrible fights for Nigma gave space to Spirit. After an Aegis, Spirit were a lot stronger and difficult to deal with. After constant resistance from Nigma, Spirit finally won the match 20-36 in 30 minutes.
Team Secret Vs TSM
Game-1
We saw a very active and team-fighting gameplay from both teams in the first match. Neither of them were ready to budge. However, in the mid-game, Secret picked the Aegis on Ember Spirit and started to dictate the flow. At around 25 minutes, Secret had an 8k gold lead. TSM tried to come back into the game with a couple of fights, but Secret were determined to keep the lead and win the match. The scoreline was 35-20 in 42 minutes.
Game-2
A fast-paced second match saw TSM in the lead. At around 25 minutes into the game, TSM were 5k ahead in net worth. That said, Secret kept farming hoping to recover and they snapped a few important kills. However, winning a part of the entire fight is never enough in Dota 2. TSM won the match with a score of 26-39 in 38 minutes.
Game-3
The third match saw Secret dominate from the early game. They were 3k gold ahead at around 9 minutes into the game. Although there wasn’t much fighting in the starting minutes, Secret were farming a lot better than TSM. The advantageous position helped Secret get the Aegis on their Templar Assassin before the 15-minute mark. With a 10k gold lead at 20 minutes into the game, Secret looked untouchable. TSM were adamant and tried to come back with a good fight near Roshan. They even managed to pick up the Aegis, but an overextension around 31 minutes cost them the game. Secret were quick to pounce on the chance and get security from another Roshan. The match was over and the score read 23-19 in Secret’s favor.
Stay tuned on ESTNN for Playoffs and Grand Final coverage.
