The third stage of the LCK group stage is nearing its end with only 9 days remaining. Rising group’s BFX claimed their 12th season win by beating BRO in their last match. Winning one or two more games will secure BFX a playoff spot alongside DK. Meanwhile, in the Legendary group, HLE faced off against KT, the T1 power team, in their 27th match. The two sides fought through three intense games, with HLE ultimately winning 2-1.

This BO3 series was quite thrilling. KT was very close to overturning HLE. In the first game, KT started strong with a 3-0 kill lead, but their top lane ran into trouble, going from 1-0 to 1-5, allowing HLE to catch up economically. After securing the Dragon Soul, KT regained control. Both teams exchanged blows until the 39th minute when KT’s four-core lineup showed much stronger teamfight power in the late game.

In the second game, KT maintained an early advantage. BDD heavily damaged Zeka within 3 minutes, and the jungler secured a kill. KT’s early pace was decent, but in mid-game teamfights, the combo of Orianna and Sivir lacked enough damage. HLE kept up steady macro play, pushing towers and maintaining economic lead. KT managed to drag the game to late stages with the Dragon Soul, and just as the double carry duo was about to shine, their AD was caught out and killed, unable to even use Flash, resulting in a lost fight.

The third game was the most unfortunate. If their top laner had not been a bot, they would have won the match. Early on, BDD was targeted and gave up first blood, and the jungler had no rhythm. At 20 minutes, KT was behind by 5K gold, but during a teamfight at Urgot’s ultimate, KT turned the tides with a 0-for-4 exchange, evening the deficit. In subsequent fights, BDD’s charm skill repeatedly hit key targets, allowing KT’s advantage to snowball. However, in the deciding fight, the top laner made a critical mistake, channeling his Q in front of five enemies and dying instantly.

After Sion fell, HLE recklessly initiated fights, scoring a 0-for-4 exchange, leaving only BDD alive to defend alone against five opponents. BDD tried to clear minions but was overwhelmed. At the moment the base exploded, the camera captured BDD covering his face in pain. It was clear his mindset was shattered. Any player, even a pro, would find it hard to accept losing two winnable games, especially with both top and bottom lanes giving up kills at crucial moments.

Although HLE won, honestly, it was an ugly victory. Zeka had no lane advantage across all three games. Even with a first blood assist from teammates in the decider, he was still suppressed. BDD even out-farmed Zeka. With this form, facing veterans like Faker and Chovy in the future, Zeka will likely be overwhelmed. It might be time for HLE to find a substitute midlaner so Zeka can take a break and reflect, as his recent performance has been poor.

Besides mid lane being a weak point, HLE also faces communication problems. After the match, Viper revealed in an interview that during teamfights or major objective contests, team communication often breaks down, with everyone talking but no one understanding each other. Surprisingly, five Korean players sometimes can’t comprehend their teammates. Could it be that everyone except Zeus is speaking Chinese?

This communication issue clearly stems from the shot-caller not being assertive enough (lacking seniority), or having poor decision-making skills (possibly some teammates are resistant). To fix this, everyone must sit down together, decide who will lead the calls, and the rest must follow. Otherwise, if all five players have different ideas during fights, coordination will be impossible, making it very hard to win matches.

Conclusion:

After defeating KT, HLE’s record improved to 19-7, currently leading T1 by one win in both big and small matches. However, securing second place firmly will be challenging. Of the remaining three matches, NS is almost certain to win, but T1 and GEN are uncertain. Zeka needs to quickly adjust his form, or the pressure of facing Faker will be even greater than that on BDD.

So, what do you think? Can HLE beat T1?

Feel free to leave your thoughts and join the discussion!