LPL's first match made history, with TES suffering a crushing defeat after being reverse swept 3-2, with JKL's Aphelios becoming the turning point.

Hello everyone, this is Game World.

After a long wait, the MSI Mid-Season Invitational has finally entered the group stage, with two BO5s scheduled on the first day. The most anticipated match for LPL viewers was TES against G2.

Unexpectedly, the very first LPL match created new history, as TES suffered a reverse sweep, dealing them a heavy blow.

Making new history, TES reverse swept

Before the match, G2 players stated in interviews that they saw TES as a stepping stone to advancement. Additionally, G2 achieved a runner-up finish in the first segment of the Pacific Championship Series, so there was a general consensus that both teams were on similar levels of strength.

Another noteworthy point is that due to the unfavorable seeding pool allocation for this MSI, many believed that TES falling into the lower bracket would actually give them a better chance of advancing.

Unexpectedly, TES lost to G2 in the first round, and did so in a historic way—there had never been a reverse sweep in MSI history until now.

Returning to the match, TES showed excellent form right from the start, with Xiaocream's Cassiopeia solo-killing Caps' LeBlanc mid. Though the bot lane was killed after a gank, TES maintained control of the game. Later, the young player Zuian exploded, his Wolfmother achieving an 8-1 KDA to help his team secure the first game.

Such a brilliant performance was undoubtedly surprising. In the second game, support Fengyue started to shine, landing spectacular engages with Neeko. TES continued their aggressive play to gain an advantage, and top laner Zuian even solo-killed Caps.

Aphelios becomes the turning point, TES suffers a heavy blow

Entering the third game, the situation took a sharp turn for the worse. JKL picked Aphelios bot lane but performed poorly, getting killed in lane and managing his weapon rotations poorly, earning him the mocking nickname "Colorblind Moon Boy" from viewers.

It's worth noting that during the match where they lost to the Vietnamese team, JKL's Aphelios was widely mocked across the internet.

And this game had all the elements: an all-Chinese roster, Thresh, lantern pickup, Ryze, Sion, and the classic Aphelios disaster, all against G2.

After losing one game, TES's top laner started to struggle in the fourth game. Picking Tristana, he was repeatedly targeted and died many times, causing TES to quickly lose control of the match. This led to a decisive fifth game.

In the deciding game, G2 completely outclassed TES in the draft phase, picking their signature Anivia composition that TES simply couldn't handle. In terms of in-game performance, G2 outplayed TES as well, with JKL getting killed in lane again. Although TES mounted an attack mid-game, G2 chose to play steadily, farming and applying pressure.

Editor

In the crucial Baron fight, both TES's top and mid laners missed their ultimates, leading to a team wipe and the game slipping away. Ultimately, they were reverse swept 3-2, which was undoubtedly a devastating blow for TES.

TES faces a do-or-die match but has a relatively easier path to advancement

As everyone knows, one of the worst ways to lose a BO5 is to be reverse swept. Analyzing the progression of this BO5 clearly reveals TES's problems and why G2 was able to complete the comeback.

Personally, I think TES has enough fighting spirit, but their champion pool is problematic. Especially with two rookie players on the team, once the BO5 reaches the fourth and fifth games, it becomes very difficult for them to win. In contrast, G2 is a team with deep champion pools and rich experience. In the later stages of the BO5, G2's draft advantage grew increasingly significant.

Top laner Zuian could first earn MVP but then underperform and cost the team the game. Veteran player JKL also couldn't hold up in crucial matches. This can be considered the biggest problem or weakness TES faces in this MSI.

Suffering such a blow before even facing Korean teams will make TES's subsequent survival matches very difficult.

Of course, looking at the current bracket, TES's path to the semifinals could potentially avoid BLG, HLE, and T1. If they can manage to avoid them, it would be good for TES, giving them a chance to adjust properly, work on their core issues, and hopefully bounce back in tougher matches ahead.