1. NRG vs NAVI

honestly coming into this match I was expecting for NAVI to beat NRG, in EMEA playoffs when I watch them it feels like they're not even trying, and just trying stuff up, that's why I can't really judge their actual comps and strats, where as NRG have used everything to get into this point, that's why I give a slight edge to NAVI even though I see both of these teams as very equal. But oh boy it was not equal at all

on the first map Ascent it should've been NAVI's map to win, but it just comes down to midrounding diff honestly, FNS IGL the fuck out of NRG, s0m also hitting some insane shots on ascent that makes NRG take that first map. and on the second map honestly NAVI did a great job coming back from like 8-1 to win the map in OT, they won a lot of crazy rounds to make the comeback. and on the third map Shao just disappeared from the face of the earth, and honestly, throughout the series he's been very quiet, but especially on that last map he's struggling to hold the site against a double duelist comp. And the amount of first duels that ange1 take on this map is very unhealthy, bro is a controller but act like a fucking duelist. they string a few rounds on the second half but it's too late and NRG win the series pretty convincingly despite them losing a map IMO. but yeah both of these teams should make it out of groups no problem whatsoever

2. DRX vs EG

when I first do my pickems I expect DRX to have no trouble at all in this group, but after I watch them actually play their first matches I've started to doubt them. EG went nuts against FUT, their utility is perfect. While DRX even though they beat them 2-0 they did not look good at all, they just beat them on sheer firepower, they struggled when things did not go as plan, and it really couldn't be more wrong against EG

they just got hoodwinked, bamboozled, lead astray, run amok and flat out deceived by EG on that first map, I know EG is a good anti strat team but holy shit, they read them like a book. And they've been having these insane performances without demon1 going nuts too, demon1 only really turned up to his Americas Playoffs form in the 2nd map, they look very scary right now man, like in my opinion EG is like a top 4 team in Tokyo rn behind NRG LOUD and FNC. and shoutout to Ethan as well that guy on the initiator is nuts, his utility usage is perfect. If I was DRX rn I don't know what to do tbh, it's a mental problem and stax is clearly not the player that he used to be, I swear this dude used to be an aimer in 2021-2022 but bro rn is aiming like FNS wtf. I'm not even confident that DRX could beat FUT rn, it's a huge wakeup call and I don't know if DRX is up to the task, what a timeline would it be when DRX was supposed to be the lucky ones who get the easy group to not even getting out of the group stage lmao