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Team Liquid experienced a shocking start in the Valorant Champions Tour EMEA Stage 3 Playoffs as they lost to Natus Vincere in the inaugural match of the campaign.
The Valorant Champions Tour EMEA Stage 3 Playoffs started yesterday. The 12 top teams in the EMEA region are competing for the final four slots in the Valorant Champions Tour Masters Berlin.
Team Liquid was the Valorant Champions Tour EMEA Stage 2 Playoffs champion and represented their region in May's Valorant Champions Tour Masters Reykjavik. The defending champions are determined to keep their throne this time as well.
However, they have had a tough time recently and failed to qualify for the EMEA playoffs from Challengers 1. They came back stronger in Challenger 2 and emerged as champions to make the EMEA Playoffs.
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TL faced VCT CIS Challengers 1 runner-up Natus Vincere to kickstart their EMEA Stage 3 Playoffs journey but lost the match with a 2-1 scoreline.
Natus Vincere dispatches off Team Liquid 2-1 in Valorant Champions Tour EMEA Stage 3 Playoffs
Team Liquid went up against Natus Vincere in a best-of-three tie in their first match of the Valorant Champions Tour EMEA Stage 3 Playoffs.
The first game of the series was played on Icebox as TL chose to start on the defending side.
They started the map better, dominating the first half with nine rounds in their favor. Scream from Team Liquid was phenomenal in the first half of the match.
However, in the second half, Natus Vincere pulled off an excellent comeback, securing ten rounds and losing just one in return to win the match.
After losing the first map, Team Liquid came back stronger on Bind and equalized the series with a 13-7 victory on the second map. Scream was the MVP of the match with 21 kills to his name.
It all boiled down to the series' final map on Split. After an intense battle of 24 rounds, Natus Vincere won the match with 13-11 to clinch the game and the series.
With this loss, Team Liquid has now dropped down to the lower bracket and will wait for their opponents come the end of the Upper Quarterfinals of the Valorant Champions Tour EMEA Stage 3 Playoffs.
In the other matches in the Upper Round 1 tie, Guild Esports, FunPlus Phoenix, and Oxygen Esports won against Forze, Fire Flux Esports, and Giants Gaming, respectively, and qualified for the Upper Quarterfinals.
