Today, on day 3 of Play-In stage of
League of Legends Worlds 2024, we will see the first qualification matches. Today, two teams will officially join the Main Event and will be given more time to prepare for the Swiss Stage against the best teams in the world. The show will start with an exciting match between
Mad Lions KOI, the LEC third seed, and PCS' champion,
PSG Talon. This opening battle pits two teams from different regions, each with their own stories and ambitions for the tournament.
Lions hunting
"
I think they are a strong team and could compete to win in our league as well. It’ll be an insane match. When the teams are tougher, MDK steps up and plays much better, so I think it’ll be great for the fans and everything" stated David "Supa" Garcia in
our recent interview after MDK's win to Vikings Esports.
MDK is looking to erase the humiliation of 2022, where they were swept 3-0 by Evil Geniuses and failed to progress past the Play-In stage. This time, they can rely on their high versatility in drafts, as they have yet to show their full potential after what looked like an easy first round. Despite Alex "Myrwn" Villarejo's underperformance so far, the team remained dangerous, even with four rookies making their first appearance at Worlds.
They can also count on strong leadership from Javier "Elyoya" Prades, whose synergy with the botlane has been key. In the first round, MDK emerged as one of the most confident teams, not losing a single game. We can truly see them as a clear favorite coming into this series.
PSG Talon had a close call
"
I think Elyoya is a really good jungler. I've seen him play at Worlds for several years, and I'm super excited to face him. I think this match will be phenomenal, but I can't tell who will win" answered Yu "JunJia" Chun-Chia when asked about who he is willing to face in the tournament
in our interview.
PSG Talon showed some shakiness in the first round against the Brazilians, needing the first game to warm up as they lost it to a surprising paiN Gaming fighting for their life. The PCS first seed seems to continue to rely on their Summer strategies in drafts, with Rumble toplane being a key example.
However, when fully warmed up, they showed they could be very dangerous when playing greatly around their win conditions. MDK will need to be cautious of Huang "Maple" Yi-Tang’s carry potential, as he delivered a standout performance on Akali in Game 3 just two days ago.
Both teams will face off today at 2 PM CET in a crucial BO3 qualification series. The losing team will be sent to the lower bracket, where they will have a second chance to qualify.
