VCT Champions 2022 is now in its eleventh day, with two lower bracket elimination matchups slated to happen soon. Today's second lower quarterfinal series will pitch two of the top EMEA Valorant rosters against one another, the loser among whom will be sent home.
Team Liquid and Fnatic displayed immense potential throughout VCT 2022. While the former had to fight through EMEA LCQ to win the ticket, the latter qualified for Champions Istanbul through circuit points. Both rosters have showcased some of their best plays this season and are expected to surprise their fans in the upcoming series too.
This article will predict the outcome of the aforementioned series through general predictions, head-to-head comparisons, recent results, and more.
Fnatic vs. Team Liquid: Who will win today's quarterfinal matchup in VCT Champions 2022?
The upcoming best-of-three series, slated to pitch Fnatic against Team Liquid, will be a treat to watch for every Valorant fan. Two of the biggest names in EMEA will fight to preserve their only chance to remain in the tournament.
The winner of today's matchup will move onto the lower semifinals against a yet-to-be-determined contender, while the loser will exit the tournament. Elimination series are undoubtedly hard to witness, especially for die-hard fans vouching for their favorite team.
That said, only one team will get to lift the prestigious conical trophy of VCT Champions 2022. Elimination rounds will pave the way for the organizers to pick the best-performing team this VCT season.
Predictions
Fnatic has performed well in previous EMEA Challengers and even qualified for both the Masters events this year. While they faced hiccups in Reykjavik, the EMEA Beasts outperformed most of their competition in Copenhagen to place fourth. Consequently, they had enough circuit points to qualify for the VCT Champions 2022.
Team Liquid, on the other hand, had a hard time fighting their competition during the Challengers stages. They qualified for Masters Reykjavik (Stage 1) after placing fourth in EMEA Challengers Stage 1. However, they missed out on Masters Copenhagen after placing sixth in EMEA Challengers Stage 2.
Lacking enough circuit points, Team Liquid had to participate in the EMEA LCQ and win it for a ticket to Champions Istanbul.
Considering their VCT 2022 career, Fnatic seems to have the upper hand over Team Liquid and may emerge victorious over the latter.
That said, Team Liquid's recent performances in the group stages of Champions 2022 were beastly, and most viewers consider them capable enough to defeat Fnatic. The matchup is going to be interesting and nail-biting to watch for sure.
Head-to-head
The two teams have faced each other many times as they are from the same regional circuit. Team Liquid has emerged victorious over Fnatic in four of their seven encounters. Hence, the ScreaM-led team takes the cake in terms of head-to-head comparison.
Recent results
Team Liquid lost their opening group match in VCT Champions 2022 against Leviatán. However, they triumphed over EDward Gaming and Paper Rex to enter the playoffs.
Similarly, Fnatic lost their opening group series against 100 Thieves but defeated the latter in a decider match and then beat Furia in a loser's series to enter the playoffs.
Both rosters lost their opening playoff matchups against North American competitors, OpTic Gaming and XSET. Hence, they are of the same stature considering their recent results.
Potential lineups
Fnatic
- Jake "Boaster" Howlett
- James "Mistic" Orfila
- Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev
- Enzo "Enzo" Mestari
- Emir Ali "Alfajer" Beder
Team Liquid
- Nabil “Nivera” Benrlitom
- Adil "ScreaM" Benrlitom
- Elias "Jamppi" Olkkonen
- Dmitriy “dimasick” Matvienko
- Dom “soulcas” Sulcas
When and where to watch
Fans all over the world can tune in to the livestream of the aforementioned series on YouTube, Twitch, and valorantesports.com. The match will start at 10 am PDT / 7 pm CEST / 10.30 pm IST.