Team Liquid vs Talon Esports Dota 2 The International 2023 Upper Bracket Quarterfinals highlights

Dota 2 The International 2023 got underway with the 20 best esports teams, of whom four were eliminated in the group stage while the rest faced off in the Bo3 series. After this, teams were assigned to the Upper and Lower Brackets.

In the first Upper Bracket Quarterfinals, Team Spirit defeated Virtus.pro, sending them to the Lower Bracket Round 2.

The second Upper Bracket Quarterfinals series saw the European powerhouse, Team Liquid, lock horns with Talon Esports. With an amazing team dynamic, the former advanced to the Upper Bracket Semifinals, relegating Talon to the Dota 2 TI12 Lower Bracket Round 2.

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Team Liquid wiped Talon Esports 2-0 in Dota 2 TI12 Upper Bracket Quarterfinals

Game 1 between Team Liquid and Talon Esports

Team Liquid started their Dota 2 TI12 Upperbracket Quarterfinals journey with an aggressive/late-game lineup. On the other hand, Talon drafted heroes that lacked damage output compared to Liquid's heroes.

Team Liquid (Dire):

• Spectre - Micke
• Primal Beast - Nisha
• Dark Seer - Zai
• Dark Willow - Boxi
• Enchantress - Insania

Talon Esports (Radiant):

• Morphling - 23savage
• Kunkka - Mikoto
• Tidehunter - Jabz
• Nature's Prophet - Q
• Treant Protector - Oli

Talon Esports seemed to have weaker support picks than Liquid's Enchantress and Dark Willow. Nature's Prophet gave up the first blood to Team Liquid on the top river rune. However, he later helped Kunkka kill the Primal Beast in the mid-lane at the two-minute mark.

Both teams were winning back-to-back fights, with the carries securing good farms. At the 20-minute mark, a team fight erupted near the bottom river rune. Although Tidehunter used Ravage, it had little effect as Team Liquid claimed the lives of the Treant Protector, Morphling, and Tidehunter. Zai's Vacuum and Wall played a crucial role in helping Liquid win the team fight.

With this momentum, Liquid headed to the Roshan Pit and secured Aegis for the Primal Beast. They then began to push and pick off Talon Esports in the process. Morphling struggled to acquire items and was outfarmed by Micke's Spectre, who hunted down Talon's heroes with items such as Diffusal Blade, Manta Style, and Hand of Midas.

After several successful team fights, Spectre obtained the second Aegis and pushed the bottom lane. Talon tried to break the siege but was unsuccessful, as the European team proved too strong. Liquid claimed two sets of racks as Talon Esports tapped out with "ggs," resulting in their loss in the first game of the Dota 2 TI12 Upper Bracket Quarterfinals.

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Game 2 between Team Liquid and Talon Esports

The second game in Dota 2 Upper Bracket Quarterfinals was no different, as Team Liquid remained unshakable and went on to defeat Talon. The SEA teams had a strong lineup, but they got outplayed by Liquid's heroes.

Team Liquid (Radiant):

• Luna - Micke
• Storm Spirit - Nisha
• Dawnbreaker - Zai
• Tusk - Boxi
• Ancient Apparition - Insania

Talon Esports (Dire):

• Terrorblade - 23savage
• Zeus - Mikoto
• Bristleback - Jabz
• Earthshaker - Q
• Phoenix - Oli

Bristleback came online early, forcing Dawnbreaker to join the early teamfights. This decision proved to be a poor one for Liquid, as they lost a couple of fights. However, as the game progressed, the burst damage from Liquid's heroes was sufficient to control Bristleback.

Luna was gradually scaling and became as powerful as Terrorblade. Talon attempted to sneak Roshan but was caught by AA's Ice Blast, while Dawnbreaker and Storm Spirit picked off Zeus near the Fountain Pool. Mikoto's poor positioning disrupted Talon's game plan as they aimed to secure the Aegis.

Fortunately, Terrorblade obtained the Aegis and prepared for the impending team fight. With the Aegis, Talon began to push the Radiant side's top racks and secured the Tier 3 tower. Terrorblade went on to kill the BKB-popped Luna, using the Metamorphosis form and damage from the Eye of Skadi.

With Luna eliminated, the rest of Team Liquid, led by Dawnbreaker and Tusk, wiped out Talon and killed Terrorblade for the second time. Liquid surged toward the Dire's base, acquired mega creeps, and claimed victory dominantly.

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Team Liquid advanced to the Dota 2 TI12 Upper Bracket Semifinals and will face Team Spirit.

Talon Esports dropped to the Lower Bracket Round 2 and will either face BetBoom or Keyd Stars.