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After five weeks of exciting matchups, six European teams have finally qualified for the playoffs stage of VCT 2022 Stage 2 EMEA Challengers. In the opening match of the playoffs, Team Liquid will take on FunPlus Phoenix in a best-of-three matchup.
In the early stages of the tournament, 12 teams were invited to the tournament based on their performance in the previous stages of VCT. After five weeks of Group Stage fixtures, the top three teams from each group have qualified for the double-elimination playoffs bracket.
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Out of the six participants in the playoffs, the three best teams will get the opportunity to represent the EMEA region at the upcoming Masters: Copenhagen, which is scheduled to be held from July 10 to 25.
Team Liquid vs FPX: Who will qualify for the Upper Semifinals of VCT 2022 Stage 2 EMEA Challengers?
As Team Liquid progresses to the playoffs of VCT EMEA Challengers, a familiar foe stands in their way. Being two of Europe's most feared organizations, Team Liquid and FunPlus Phoenix have gone up against each other at various stages of the VCT tournament circuit.
While Team Liquid charged through the Group Stage with a 4-1 record, FPX had a 3-2 run to qualify for the playoffs. Valorant enthusiasts and fans of both teams are excited to see a matchup of this caliber transpire at such an early stage of the tournament's playoffs.
Predictions
Team Liquid entered the playoffs as Group B's second seed, whereas FPX made it through after finishing third in Group A. Both teams displayed good performances in the earlier stages of the tournament, making this upcoming bout even more interesting.
FunPlus Phoenix has a reputation for being one of EMEA's toughest teams, winning the Stage 1 EMEA Challengers to back their claims. However, they missed out on the opportunity to compete at the global level as visa issues hindered their participation in the Masters: Reykjavik.
Coming into Stage 2, FPX defeated teams like G2 Esports, FOKUS, and OG LDN UTD to secure their spot in the tournament's playoffs. However, after failing to overthrow Tier-1 contenders like Acend and Fnatic in VCT's Stage 2, FPX are yet to prove their mettle as the region's best team.
Team Liquid, on the other hand, kicked off their campaign in exciting fashion, claiming victories over teams like BIG, BBL Esports, Natus Vincere, and M3 Champions. In fact, their only defeat in the Group Stage was when they played against Guild Esports.
Taking current form into consideration, Team Liquid does have the upper hand over FunPlus Phoenix. However, at the grand stage of an elite tournament such as the VCT Challengers playoffs, anything can happen. Despite the outcome of the match, both teams will continue in the playoffs as the loser proceeds to the tournament's lower bracket.
Head-to-head
Since the inception of Valorant, Team Liquid has played against FunPlus Phoenix a total of 9 times, out of which the last 5 have been in various stages of VCT. The first meeting between the two sides ended in a 1-1 tie. However, out of the remaining encounters, 7 have ended in FPX's favor.
Liquid has defeated FPX only once, in April 2021. Interestingly, all the encounters between the two sides in 2022 have ended in FPX's victory. Past results considered, Team Liquid might have a point to prove as they take on FPX in this Upper Round 1 matchup.
Recent results
Both FPX and Team Liquid have been in good form throughout Stage 2 of VCT 2022 while competing against the top rosters from EMEA. In their last 5 matches, Team Liquid has 4 wins and a defeat. Liquid defeated M3 Champions, Natus Vincere, BBL Esports, and BIG to qualify for the playoffs, losing only to Guild Esports in Week 3.
FPX, on the other hand, has 3 wins in their last 5 matches. They lost their first and fifth matches of the Group Stage to enter the playoffs with a 3-2 record. FunPlus Phoenix claimed victories over OG LDN UTD, FOKUS, and G2 Esports, whereas they lost to Fnatic and Acend.
Potential lineups
Team Liquid
- Nabil “Nivera” Benrlitom
- Adil "ScreaM" Benrlitom
- Elias "Jamppi" Olkkonen
- Aurimas "Dreamas" Zablockis
- Dom “soulcas” Sulcas
FunPlus Phoenix
- Pontus "Zyppan" Eek
- Ardis "ardiis" Svarenieks
- Kyrylo "ANGE1" Karasov
- Andrey "Shao" Kiprsky
- Dmitry "SUYGETSU" Ilyushin
When and where to watch
Valorant enthusiasts can watch VCT 2022 Stage 2 EMEA Challengers live on Valorant's official Twitch handle, as well as on VCT's official YouTube channel. In addition, several content creators from all over the world will be hosting official watch parties for their audience to enjoy.
Team Liquid will take on FunPlus Phoenix in this Upper Round 1 matchup on June 17, 2022 at 10.30 pm IST/ 07.00 pm CEST/ 10.00 am PDT.
