The second set of lower rounds in VCT Champions 2022's bracket stage is slated for today. Two teams will be sent home at the end of the upcoming matchups, making it necessary for the participating teams to give their best. The first series will pit DRX against Fnatic in a best-of-three format, and the second will have FPX go up against XSET.
Champions Istanbul is now on its thirteenth day and is slowly etching towards the grand finals scheduled for September 18. After a series of disheartening eliminations, there are only six teams left in the prestigious tournament's participation pool.
This article will predict the odds for the series involving DRX and Fnatic using general stats, head-to-head comparisons, and recent results.
DRX vs. Fnatic: Who will win today's lower round 2 in VCT Champions 2022?
South Korean powerhouse DRX lost to LOUD yesterday in the upper semifinal round. While the latter seeded into the upper finals, DRX will fight for their chance to remain in the tournament in the lower round 2.
Fnatic made their way to the lower rounds during the quarterfinals but stayed strong during their do-or-die series against Team Liquid.
Predictions
DRX remained undefeated in VCT Champions 2022 up until yesterday, when they went up against LOUD. They are definitely one of the strongest contenders in the tournament.
Fnatic lost a couple of matches in the tournament, but the team held their own in the group play stage and playoffs. However, they are locked to the lower bracket and, like DRX, only have a single chance to prove themselves. The winner will move on to the lower semifinal round and face off against the winner of today's second lower round 2 series.
Both teams will be giving their best today. However, DRX has had better performances in recent games and is expected to have a slight edge over Fnatic.
DRX has remained undefeated for most of the tournament and also remained consistent in the challengers and masters stages of VCT 2022. Even though Fnatic has been one of EMEA's strongest Valorant rosters and a fan favorite, they may fumble against DRX's firepower.
Head-to-head
Fnatic and DRX have previously faced each other in last year's VCT Champions. The former had defeated the latter with a dominant 2-0 score. However, one win against DRX isn't enough to predict the odds in favor of Fnatic, especially because the South Korean roster has seen major improvements since.
Recent results
When it comes to recent performances, DRX takes the cake with three out of four wins in the ongoing tournament. Fnatic has lost two matchups, one in the group play stage and another in the VCT Champions bracket stage.
Potential lineups
DRX
- Kim "stax" Gu-taek
- Goo "Rb" Sang-Min
- Kim "Zest" Ki-seok
- Yu "BuZz" Byung-chul
- Kim "MaKo" Myeong-gwan
Fnatic
- Jake "Boaster" Howlett
- James "Mistic" Orfila
- Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev
- Enzo "Enzo" Mestari
- Emir "Alfajer" Beder
Where to watch
Fans can watch the series live on YouTube, Twitch, or the official website of Valorant esports. The series begins at 7:00 am PDT / 4:00 pm CEST / 7:30 pm IST on September 13.