LPL 3rd seed TES defeated 2nd seed BLG 2-1 to successfully advance to the quarterfinals.
While TES had struggled significantly in international tournaments in the past, today they displayed far superior performance against BLG to secure the win.
BLG targeted TES '369's Jayce early on to claim first blood. TES answered when 'JackeyLove's Jhin punished 'ON's Nautilus for overly harassing 'Tian's Qiyana during jungle camps, while also securing the first dragon. Both teams then farmed up in silence for a long time before clashing heavily in an 18-minute dragon fight, which BLG won.
With momentum shifting in their favor, BLG continued to snowball effectively, taking Baron and extending their lead to a 10,000 gold difference to take Game 1.
In Game 2, BLG secured first blood with a mid gank from Wukong to eliminate 'Creme's Locke. TES responded by grouping early at the Voidgrubs to secure them safely. From there, both teams played extremely cautiously. Resembling the LCK more than the LPL, both teams avoided unnecessary fights. It was a macro-heavy match with fewer than 10 total kills up to the 26th minute, with BLG holding a slight lead.
BLG maintained their lead by securing three dragon stacks first, and in a dragon teamfight, 'knight's LeBlanc made a super play to burst down 'JackeyLove's Lucian, widening the gold gap significantly. However, TES succeeded in fighting back. Correctly punishing BLG for invading deep into their jungle, TES picked up four kills and secured Baron.
Although 'knight's LeBlanc was well-farmed, BLG failed to capitalize on this advantage. Instead, TES fully utilized the synergies of their draft to build momentum and tie the series 1-1.
Game 3 was another highly cautious match from both teams. First blood occurred during a Voidgrubs fight, where BLG claimed two kills on Pantheon and Lulu while TES eliminated Maokai. Although BLG gained more from that exchange, TES won a teamfight in the bottom lane as Pantheon made a brilliant entrance with his ultimate. Taking a meaningful lead from this battle, TES targeted BLG's bottom lane and snowballed. By the 17-minute mark, TES led by a whopping 5,000 gold. TES continued winning skirmishes, secured Baron, and widened the gold gap even further to beat BLG and advance to the quarterfinals.
