The group stage of Red Bull Home Ground 2022 ended yesterday, December 9, with the best-performing Valorant teams advancing to the playoffs (bracket stage). The playoffs, which are scheduled to begin today (December 10), will pit one American and three EMEA teams against one another in two introductory quarterfinal matchups.
Team Vitality will take on Team Heretics in the first quarterfinal series, while Team Liquid will face KRÜ Esports in the second matchup slated for today. Let's take a look at the possible outcomes for the Team Liquid vs. KRÜ Esports matchup, which is scheduled to commence soon.
Team Liquid vs. KRÜ Esports: Who will win the second quarterfinal series in Valorant Red Bull Home Ground #3?
Fans of Valorant esports have undoubtedly come across these two teams while watching past VCT clashes. Both are top Valorant teams from their regions and have displayed impeccable form time and again.
Team Liquid is a huge name in the global esports sector and has etched its name as a dominant team in the Valorant EMEA scene. However, their roster underwent some changes very recently owing to the upcoming VCT 2023 format overhaul. An iconic member of Team Liquid's Valorant roster, ScreaM, and his brother, Nivera, moved on to a different team (Karmine Corp), causing the organization to hunt for talent elsewhere.
KRÜ Esports' Valorant roster has also given strong performances in erstwhile tournaments (VCT and unofficial) and is considered one of the strongest teams in South America. Like Team Liquid, they also underwent considerable changes ahead of VCT 2023, introducing talented athletes from diverse backgrounds.
Predictions
Team Liquid's present form seems to be slightly more promising than that of KRÜ Esports. The former won two out of three matchups in the group stage of Red Bull Home Ground 2022 and showcased some beautiful executions against FUT Esports and Team Heretics. Team Liquid won many hearts and secured an impressive spot on the leaderboard.
KRÜ Esports won only one series yesterday and lost the other two. The team also ran into a confusing situation regarding their qualification into the playoffs. However, the officials finally announced that KRÜ Esports will advance into the quarterfinals, letting fans breathe a sigh of relief.
Considering both teams' immediate form, Team Liquid definitely has an upperhand over KRÜ Esports. However, the tables may turn at any time, especially considering the unpredictable nature of Valorant and the stakes.
The winner of this series will face Cloud9 in the semifinals scheduled for December 11, while the loser has to exit the competition early.
Head-to-head
Team Liquid has faced KRÜ Esports thrice before this, and they won all three series dominantly. Considering the head-to-head situation, the popular EMEA Valorant team is definitely at a huge advantage over KRÜ Esports. However, both teams have undergone significant changes since their past encounters, which means that the head-to-head predictions are slightly unreliable at the moment.
Recent results
VCT 2022 wasn't very eventful for KRÜ Esports. Despite managing to tear down a few opponents at prestigious international events, the team's overall performance lacked discipline and well-thought strategies, which led to their early elimination in tournaments like Champions Istanbul 2022.
Team Liquid was also not a very significant participant in VCT 2022. However, their performance in EMEA Last Chance Qualifiers grabbed them a seat in Champions Istanbul 2022. From there, the team performed promisingly and even made it to the playoffs. Unfortunately, their strategy and execution weren't enough to take the ScreaM-led team past the quarterfinals.
Considering their recent results, one could place both teams on an equal plane. Moreover, both teams now have a different player composition.
Potential lineups
Team Liquid
- Dom "soulcas" Sulcas
- Elias "Jamppi" Olkkonen
- Saif "Sayf" Jibraeel
- Enzo "Enzo" Mestari
- Johan " Meddo" Renbjörk Lundborg
KRÜ Esports
- Nicolas "Klaus" Ferrari
- Juan Pablo "NagZ" Lopez
- Alexandre "xand" Zizi
- Santiago "Daveeys" Galvis Ruiz
- Carlos "axeddy" Alberto Machado
When and where to watch
The Team Liquid vs KRÜ Esports quarterfinals matchup will commence on December 10, 2022, at 4 PM GMT / 8 AM PDT / 9:30 PM IST. Fans can tune in to twitch.tv/redbull or hop onto Red Bull Gaming's official YouTube channel to watch the game live.