MSI 2021: RNG obliterates everyone and Pentanet makes history for the LCO

A historic weekend is what these first days of the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational have left us, where great League of Legends clashes have been experienced with both predictable and impressive results. Now with the Group A matches already finished, the first two teams have qualified out of the Group Stage ready for the Rumble against the best teams in the world, so it’s time to see the highlights around the results of these games.

RNG at MSI 2021: A perfect 8-0 score

Some must say this was something predictable, however, it doesn’t stop being something impressive. Royal Never Give Up, current champions of the LPL, started their road to the MSI’s next stages with a dominance more than clear in their group.

(Picture: Riot Games)

Even before the dropping of the VCS’s GAM Esports, the Chinese team was one of the favourites to advance to the next round, and now that all three teams (RNG, UOL, PGG) had to play in a quadruple round-robin, they proved to be a more than scaring opponent for teams like MAD Lions and mainly, DWG KIA.

With the help of their powerful top (and mid) laner “Xioahu”, and the strength of their AD Carry “GALA”, RNG showed the world their ambition to become two-time MSI champions, and now that they are waiting for the rest of their opponents, their road to the glory is just starting.

Pentanet.GG breaks the barrier and becomes legendary

As RNG had already got their seed confirmed to the next phase, the second seed was waiting for the results between the LCL’s Unicorns of Love, and the LCO’s Pentanet.GG.

Both got a similar performance between them, however, for most of the viewers, the Unicorns had the odds in their favour both for the historic performance of their region on the international stage, and the struggle around the Oceanic region after its disbanding and subsequent migration of their best players to NA.

(Picture: Riot Games)

Arriving on the last day of competition with a 1-1 score along with PGG, the Russian squad started on the right way getting the upper hand against them before falling against RNG. As for PGG, their game started to evolve over the day getting a little more approaches to the LPL squad and then tying the score again.

After an unsuccessful last match against RNG, both PGG and UOL had to face each other again in a tiebreaker to decide who would advance onto the Rumble. Getting heated after their good performances during the matchday, PGG used this momentum and got a great advantage they started to build.

If there is one name we have to feature as the responsible for this, it has to be “Pabu”. The PGG’s jungler managed to get strong engagements thanks to the help of his support “Decoy”, and with an incredible utility and performance coming from all Pentanet, the LCO’s proved everyone wrong being the first Oceanic team to get into the Top 6 of any MSI in history.

(Picture: Riot Games)

Sadly for the Russian followers, they will have to wait another half year to get a shot at redemption at Worlds, either with UOL or another LCL team.

The next teams to join RNG and PGG in the Rumble Stage will be defined in the Group B final matchday between the LEC’s MAD Lions, PCS’ PSG Talon, TCL’s fastPay Wildcats, and CBLOL’s paIN Gaming.

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