The second round of the group stage in the LPL's third segment has commenced. On the last match day, TES took on TT and won 2-0 without dropping a single game, earning their seventh victory in this segment. With a tied series record with BLG, TES reclaimed the first spot in the standings due to their superior small points and head-to-head advantage. Failures in international matches don't affect TES's domestic dominance, indicating that they are likely to qualify for the World Finals again.

After TES took the top spot, JDG also bounced back from their slump, starting to end their losing streak. In their match against WE, JDG easily won 2-0, securing their fourth win of the segment. If they win their next game, JDG will tie WE's record and return to the top four. However, their recent three matches were all against weaker opponents, so whether their form has truly improved remains to be seen in their upcoming games against BLG and AL.

On the same day, IG, in the Nirvana group, also played their fourth match. Against LNG, IG gave their all and won 2-0 easily. In the first game, TheShy was solo-killed by his opponent at 2.5 minutes, but Olaf has little pressure against K'Sante. With advantages in mid, bot, and jungle, Olaf went on a rampage in team fights, leading the team to victory. The second game was straightforward, with IG again dominating all lanes from the start.

TheShy's Rumble, with his ultimate timing in team fights, is several levels above Bin. In a stress-free game, his performance was flawless, and he once again earned the POM (Player of the Match) for the series. Having played only 4 matches, in all three wins the top laner was MVP. Could it be that TheShy will be the top laner of the week for the third consecutive week? Personally, I think the officials should consider other players, otherwise the buzz around IG will be too much.

After another loss, LNG's record has fallen to four consecutive defeats. With only two games remaining, even if they win both, they cannot catch up to or surpass IG's 3-1 record. Therefore, LNG has been eliminated from the Knight's Path two games early. In the previous segment, LNG was the king of the Nirvana group. Although they didn't make the playoffs, they had the strength of the top four in the Summit group. However, during the transfer period, they let go of all their Korean imports to form an all-Chinese roster, causing the team's strength to plummet.

With LNG eliminated, the only team left in the Nirvana group vying for the Knight's Path spot alongside IG and NIP is WBG. Weibo's qualification situation is also not optimistic. In their remaining three games, they should win against LNG, but to enter the Knight's Path, they need to defeat both NIP and IG. Let's briefly analyze Weibo's situation. Assuming they win against LNG in the next round, WBG will start with a 2-2 record.

In the following two games, if WBG wins only one, they might still qualify, but only if either NIP or IG loses all their remaining games. However, both teams have one more match, so at least one of them will reach four wins. Moreover, NIP still has a game against LNG, which they are expected to win. In that case, WBG can only compete with IG. If IG loses to both WBG and NIP, WBG can overtake them. But even if WBG wins both games, it's not a guaranteed qualification.

Four points are the qualification line. NIP is definitely safe. If WBG competes with IG, they have a slight advantage but not entirely out of the picture. The key is whether they can defeat NIP in the next game. However, there is an extreme scenario: WBG, IG, and NIP could all end up with four points. If WBG beats IG and NIP, and NIP loses to IG, and LNG loses all their games, then all three teams would be 4-2, and the tiebreaker would come down to small points or game time.

Conclusion:

Weibo's qualification is only theoretical. If they lose to IG, their path to the Knight's Path is over. If both teams have three points, IG has the advantage in head-to-head results. Moreover, the top two teams are quite strong. Although Weibo's form has improved, their mid-game play remains confusing. Personally, I think their chances of beating IG or NIP are very low.

So, do you think Weibo can beat IG now?

Feel free to leave a comment and discuss!