Welcome to our Worlds 2021 match ratings, as we enter Day 7 of the group stage, the final day of Worlds 2021 groups. Every day, I, your designated guinea pig and critic, will watch all of the world championship games so you don’t have to. I will be here to dish out star ratings for every game and let you know if I recommend the slew of fights that day at Worlds.
My rating scale is from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) stars. Here’s what each star rating means in layman’s terms:
* = Boring. Utterly skippable and something no one will remember by tomorrow.
** = Watchable. Possibly recommended based on your rooting interests.
*** = Good. Something I’d recommend checking out, even if you’re not a fan of either team.
**** = Must-watch. A game or series that you need to watch if you have any interest in League of Legends.
***** = An all-time classic. This perfect rating is only achievable if a game or match is at the highest level of entertainment, gameplay and will go down in the lexicon as a moment no League of Legends fan will ever forget.
Chovy became the headlining act during Day 6, bringing unbelievable plays that forced us to dedicate an entire match rating to his name. Now, we move onto Group D for Day 7, with Gen.G and MAD Lions kicking things off.
Without further ado, here are my match ratings for Day 7 of the group stage at Worlds 2021.
MAD Lions vs. Gen.G Esports
**** stars
We start the final day of the group stage with a true spectacle. Gen.G controlled the early-game, a snuck Baron won the Lions the mid-game and a stolen Baron by the South Koreans secured the win in the end.
MAD are now on the edge of being eliminated, as is the whole of Europe, at Worlds 2021.
Team Liquid vs. LNG Esports
*** 1/2 stars
TL pulled off one of the cleanest victories we’ve seen this entire tournament with a statement win over LNG. From the laning phase to objective control, Liquid put on a masterclass.
LNG Esports vs. Gen.G
* 1/2 stars
LNG’s Fiora was up 100 CS on the enemy Irelia around 15 minutes into the game. That’s about it for the interest in this one. LNG overextended a bit and flopped around, but they were too rich to lose and won in a 30-minute game that should have ended in 20.
MAD Lions vs. Team Liquid
**** 1/4 stars
In a game that MAD Lions and Europe as a whole needed to win to extend their lives in Iceland, the No. 1 European seed hung tough and pulled out a close game against Team Liquid. While TL did a potent job keeping the side lanes in check and controlling vision, MAD’s superior teamfighting and confidence in going for skirmishes in the mid lane opened up an avenue to victory.
It doesn’t matter how many times you kill Kennen or how much CS you have above him, as long as he has Flash, stasis and his ultimate online, you’re not going to have a good time.
Gen.G Esports vs. Team Liquid
**** 3/4 stars
As MAD needed a win to survive against TL, Liquid needed a win versus the South Korean squad to live on at Worlds. Gen.G grabbed an early lead and kept a consistent 3k gold lead for a majority of the game but TL countered with a stacking Cloud Drake soul that they secured around 30 minutes.
The early soul and neither team making unforced errors led us to a fight around Elder Drake to see us the winner. TL were the proactive parties, catching out Ruler in mid and converting it into the late-game cheat code that is Elder fused with Baron.
What a game. What a group stage.
MAD Lions vs. LNG Esports
* star
This game was over four minutes in and LNG kept offering themselves as human sacrifices but who cares?
FOUR-WAY TIE!
FOUR-WAY TIE!
FOUR-WAY TIE!
FOUR-WAY TIE!
Tiebreaker 1: Gen.G vs. Team Liquid
*** 1/2 stars
TL put their chips into the middle of the table and bet on their red-side last pick of Jayce to bring it home. Gen.G believed that their first pick Yuumi on blue-side would bring them to victory.
And while Liquid edged out to a lead early with that Jayce, Gwak “Bdd” Bo-seong’s Zoe became a South Korean sniper by popping bubbles on every angle of the map to land his team into the quarterfinals.
Tiebreaker 2: MAD Lions vs. LNG Esports
***** stars
An instant classic. MAD have prided themselves on their teamfighting the entire year, riding their execution to back-to-back domestic titles. When they needed it most — in the most important game of the year, with their backs against the wall and down heavily in gold in the early-game — they found the magic to pull off a game that takes them to the playoffs.
The double snipe from Matyáš “Carzzy” Orságarzzy to win the game as Armut backdoors will be played for a decade to come in worlds packages.
Gen.G Esports vs. MAD Lions
* To be updated throughout Day 7 of the group stage
